Tempo Rubato by Spanish cantaora Mayte Martín wears its weeping heart on the sleeves of the classical string quartet Quitxote plus guitar and cajon, with truly iridescent arrangements by maestro Joan Albert Amargós. As a concept, it recalls Miguel Poveda's songs with full symphonic accompaniment which themselves were presaged by Camarón de la Isla's exploratory crossover experiments. Tempo Rubato combines Flamenco's cante stylings with the aesthetic of South-American boleros and cancíons. The latter's profound sweetness recall the legendary Mercedes Sosa. Like the magnolia fragrance appearing in "Gacela del Amor Imprevisto", this perfume of sweetness permeates the entire album. The unexpected overlay of Spanish vocals on a string quartet also transforms the latter's high-brow formality into a more contemporary salon vibe similar to how the Argentine tango orchestra took the same stringed timbres to the bordello and nightclub. Many audiophiles adore female vocals recorded well to often look in the Jazz milieu. For a change of pace, they might tune into the unapologetically gorgeous Tempo Rubato and not only make their hifis shine but also tune up those rusty heart strings…
