Uwishunu.com

Let’s say a group of five local and international classically trained musicians got together here in Philly, and dove into a Tango Nuevo meets plucky, old school cabaret stylee. Say they experimented and had a blast over a two year period, and suddenly felt they were tight enough for a proper debut. Hello and welcome, Oscuro Quintet!

My wife and I went out to see the Oscuro Quintet’s coming out party at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street, this past Saturday night. The cavernous space, with lofty Gothic Revival beams, set a great mood on many levels. Grand piano, guitar, violin, bandoneon, guitar, accordion, double bass, in various combinations of no more than five at a time, of course, the band took off into realms that were passionate and elegant, yet not without humor. Works by Astor Piazzolla, old familiar favorite Kurt Weill, Frederic Devreese and others, there were numbers that invited tangoing with my sweetie (we denied our impulses in deference to the setting and to our lousy tango skills!), and some that pepped along in early 20th century urban industrial beat, like Raymond Scott or Roger Roger.

We thanked the group before we left, for taking us into such amazing territory. They were all delightfully flushed, wide eyed and joyful, pleased with what was clearly a strong performance. Visit their site and hear what they’ve been up to, though the cool sounds you’ll find there pale beside the immediacy of their live set.

The early hour of the performance meant that we could continue a hot date on a cool evening in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. Philly is a great town to be in with the one you love!

Oscuro Quintet
www.oscuroquintet.com