The late, great Carlos Gardel is revered as the foremost star and true giant of Argentina’s beloved tango genre, with an astonishing 1,000+ recordings and 800 recorded songs to his credit. Sixty-eight years after his untimely death in a plane crash at only 37 years of age, and at the height of his monumental national popularity, a devoted following of fans continues to keep his legend alive as a tragically lost musical hero in both Argentinean and Uruguayan cultural history.

Gardel Martini is a collection of ten of Gardel’s most beloved signature songs. It is also a collective of young Argentinean musicians — all now based in Los Angeles — who worked together to freshly re-interpret some of this classic repertoire for a generation of new audiences, adding a distinctive bossa nova, “lounge music” flare to their renditions of the songs.

Arriving in Los Angeles from Argentina in 2001, producer/guitarist Enzo Buono first gained attention as co-founder of L.A.’s popular Latin alternative band Los Pinguos. The quintet, which also included his twin brother Adrian, quickly found its place in the local music scene, with club gigs at such venues as the prestigious Conga Room. Enzo developed the concept for Gardel Martini, and brought the other musicians together for the project.

The light, mellifluous voice of vocalist Maria Entraigues lends a breezy, easy vibe to the entire album, making it a great choice for summer parties and cook-outs, no matter where you live. Maria’s voice has been heard in numerous films, including “Rush Hour 2″ (with Jackie Chan), “After the Sunset” (with Pierce Brosnan), “Picking up the Pieces” (with Woody Allen), and others. She also finds time for an acting career; she will co-star and sing in the upcoming feature film, “Dare to Love Me,” a musical romance based on the life of Carlos Gardel, due for release this year.

Check out this sweet, melodic album for a great background to your summer activities. Jump in; the tempo is perfect!