The Magical Narrative of 'Arte del Dúo'

In their latest installment, Latin jazz duo Mili Bermejo and Dan Greenspan triumphantly return in “Arte del Dúo.” The album is a minimalist piece in which the only musical exchange occurs between the human voice and double bass over the course of 12 songs. What it lacks in instrumental diversity, however, it makes up for with powerful vocals and instrumental mastery. Over the past two decades, the duo have collaborated on a number of works. While they do not reinvent the proverbial musical wheel in Latin jazz, subtle changes that can only come from years of collaboration result in an inviting musical experience.

Compared to the pair’s 1997 album “Duo,” Greenspan has a more palpable presence. His double bass shares the space with Bermejo’s melodious vocals as opposed to remaining in the background. In “Las Orillas del Mar,” it takes center stage with the vocals serving as support. The greater role occupied by the double bass works tremendously for “Los Que se Aman” and the tango “Candombé para Gardel.” The exclusive focus on both vocals and bass is a definitive strength of the album. Nevertheless, the over-reliance on this powerful formula facilitates the emergence of a repetitive pattern between songs in an already homogeneous album.

With the exception of the penultimate track, all of the album’s lyrics are in Spanish. Although Bermejo has alternated in previous works among Spanish, English, and Portuguese, she has always expressed a preference for her native tongue. As the only song with English lyrics, “End of the Beginning,” possesses a rising tension in its lyrics that is further accentuated by the bass. Only in the latter half is there a shift from the English lyrics to wordless vocals with a playful tone that defuse the previously built up tension in the track. “Los Que se Aman,” which tells the story of those who “love one another with wonder,” is among the majority of Bermejo and Greenspan’s songs that cannot quite translate into English without betraying the feeling behind them.

The magic of singing in Spanish is at its best when Bermejo’s lyrics touch upon her Latin American heritage as the daughter of a Mexican composer and an Argentine tango singer. Discreet song titles such as “Candombé para Gardel,” are a nod to both the Uruguayan music genre “Candombe” and the famous Argentine singer Carlos Gardel. Bermejo’s tribute to her Latin American heritage extends beyond Argentina in “Tres Veces Heroica,” an homage to the city of Veracruz and its inhabitants, whose “souls are as pure as the foam that spouts from the ocean.”

In her latest work, Bermejo does not limit herself to singing lyrics but also uses her voice as an instrument. In “Candombé para Gardel,” Bermejo mimics the rhythm of the drums in the Uruguayan music genre in the previously mentioned “Candombé.” The improvisational use of vocals breaks the monotony of the bass in “End of the Beginning.” The true magic in Bermejo’s skill as a vocalist goes beyond the emotion that permeates her lyrics. Her gift lies in her unique ability as storyteller, which shines through in “Tres Veces Heroica,” one of the best tracks of the album. Here, she artfully narrates the history of the citizens of Veracruz, which “opened its door to civilization and its footsteps with laurels.” Again and again the rhythmic lyrics go beyond exposition of the story of Veracruz to immerse the listener to the story.

In their latest album, Bermejo and Greenspan are doing what they do best: taking us on a journey to the magical realm of “Arte del Dúo,” filling our hearts with melodical joy.