Danzas Tropicales

iTunes Review

On Danzas Tropicales, Turkish-American pianist Meral Guneyman and jazz keyboardist/arranger Dick Hyman present an excellent set of two-piano versions of Latin American classics. Danzas Tropicales opens strongly with a fresh take on Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Garota de Ipanema (Girl from Ipanema);” Hyman, who arranged many of the album’s tunes, incorporates impressionistic harmonies into the piece, and Guneyman’s playing is impressive. Two other Jobim-penned tracks, a jazzy take on “So Danco Samba” and a lush version of “Valse Des Portes Des Caixas,” are also included. The Argentine composer and pianist — and onetime Astor Piazzolla sideman — Pablo Ziegler is represented by “Asfalto” and “La Rayuela.” Ziegler also arranged Piazzolla’s “Milonga del Adios,” which is decorated with a number of lovely improvisatory touches. The title cut, composed by Hyman, draws from Latin music and features the sort of dissonance one might hear in 20th-century classical composition. The album closes with a wonderful piece from 1900 by the Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth.