COMPOSERS: Romica Puceanu
LABELS: Ashphalt Tango Records
ALBUM TITLE: Romica Puceanu & The Gore Brothers
PERFORMER: Romica Puceanu (voice) Aurel Gore (violin) Victor Gore (accordion)
CATALOGUE NO: CDATR 1006
As for great Gypsy vocal music and stories, look no further than the late Romanian chanteuse Romica Puceanu, who sounded like a cross between Nina Simone and a wolf.
Sounds From A Bygone Age, Vol. 2 preserves some of her finest 1960s work with the fabulous Gore Brothers, who furnished her vast repertoire of cântece de mahala (popular Gypsy ghetto songs) with spooky arrangements featuring virtuoso violin, accordion and cymbalom in wildly lurching, asymmetrical time signatures.
Once heard, her extraordinary sobbing howl, with its otherworldly ornamentation, utterly original phrasing, huge range and control will never be forgotten.