Gili Garabdi

Fanfare Ciocarlia (Asphalt Tango)

Frequently hired to perform at festive weddings, this gypsy brass band is said to routinely play for 30 hours straight. Expect plenty of trumpet fanfare and flatulent brass (two tubas!). Things get corny at times: I could do without the 007 theme, and "Time Out" sounds like a Balkan version of the Pink Panther theme. The arrangement of Ellington's "Caravan" has a musty conga-line feel to the rhythm, but the trills and smears of the gypsy interpretation surely bring this bit of jazz exotica back full circle. Fans of Tom Waits, Sun Ra, John Philip Sousa and the Gipsy Kings all might find a little something to appreciate here.

John Adamian