Groove at First Sight

Rooted in dance and eventually becoming its very own artistic movement, the history of tango is an epic one; and its future truly looks limitless. A musical genre with hybrid origins, it remains one of the most incredible creations to come out of Río de la Plata. “It’s the only thing we don’t ask Europe for its opinion on,” wrote Argentina’s Macedonio Fernández, the man that young Jorge Luis Borges admired “to the point of devout and passionate plagiarism.” A number of coincidences in the late 19th century gave rise to this style of music. As musicologist Carlos Vega said: "no one really tried to create tango." And yet, here it is; complete with its own traditions and innovations, as well as its own golden age, ill-fated artists, myths and rituals.

For over thirty-five years, Marc Ribot’s name has been on the covers of albums by Tom Waits, Alain Bashung, Diana Krall, John Zorn, Robert Plant, Caetano Veloso and numerous other artists, and when he's not busy lending his unique guitar to others, the New Yorker takes pleasure, under his own name, in breaking down and re-building rock, jazz, funk, Cuban music and anything his fingers touch.

Just half a century ago, the American saxophonist passed away at only 40 years old, leaving behind many recordings which have revolutionized the history of his instrument, of jazz, and also of the music of the twentieth century.