The mission of Tango No. 9 is the discovery and exploration of all styles of Argentine tango music. The group dedicated its first few years to the study of modern tango innovator Astor Piazzolla's music. In Tango No. 9's first album, released in 2001, (all them cats in Recoleta, Vintage Piazzolla), they jump off from Piazzolla's early 1950's compositions and expand them in their own American jazz/classical idiom, pushing these early modern tangos towards jazz as Piazzolla's himself did with most of his later works. They have spent the last year studying & performing the later works of Piazzolla and the main body of Argentine tango music, the traditional dance music.

Tango No. 9 constantly strives to learn more about how the music and dance of tango intersect, which is an integral part of the Argentine tango experience. They also work to deepen their understanding of tango, working with Argentine composers, musicians and poets, learning about the music, lyrics, history and culture of this fabulously rich musical form.

Violinist and Music Director, woke from a dream in early '98 knowing she wanted to start a tango group, and founded Tango No. 9. A ten-year veteran of Club Foot Orchestra, she now leads its off-shoot, Orchestra Nostalgico. She wrote and arranged a portion of the music recorded and performed by Club Foot for the 90's remake of CBS Saturday cartoon Felix The Cat. Her soundtrack for the short film A Rat Fairy Tale won an award at the Short Attention Span Film Festival. In addition to performing and composing, she has recorded with jazz based group Club Foot, free improv groups such as The Molecules, Speed the Parting Guest, Crawling with Tarts, and rock groups Steve Kirk Pop and Zircus.

Greg Stephens, trombonist and composer, has spent the last several years as founder and leader of 20th Century Forum, a non-profit group dedicated to promoting concerts of modern composers. Greg has performed with Berkeley Opera, Berkeley Contemporary Opera, City Summer Opera, and Bella Musica, as well as recording and performing with Big Lou Seekins of Those Darned Accordions.

Isabel Douglass, a Bay Area native, taught herself to play accordion at the age of 17. A couple of years of playing on the streets of Europe brought her in contact with the diverse range of accordion traditions that thrive there. An instant infatuation with Romanian Gypsy music led her to make two trips to Romania to study privately with Gypsy accordion masters. Other California ensembles she has worked with include The Japonize Elephants, Amaldecor, Fitzcock Follies, Nanos Operetta, and Faun Fables.

Joshua Raoul Brody, pianist, spends most of his time accompanying improv groups (True Fiction Magazine, Bay Area Theatersports), actors (Josh Kornbluth, Merle Kessler), and musicians (Mr. Lucky, Orchestra Nostalgico). He makes most of his money composing for film (the independent feature Suckerfish), video (MTV's Winter Steele), and multimedia (Sony's Tiny Tank). As an accompanist, Joshua Raoul Brody has worked with nearly everyone in the world - comedians Lily Tomlin and Robin Williams, film legends from Philip Kaufman to Felix the Cat, singers Tom Waits, Sir Bob Geldof and Florence Henderson, rock stars Joe Satriani and Nina Hagen, and unlumpable phenomena like The Residents, the Ethel Merman Memorial Choir, and Those Darn Accordions!. Mr. Brody has been nominated for a Bay Area Critics' Circle award for best score, won (with the Rick & Ruby Show) several Cabaret Gold Awards, and in 1991 was awarded the Bay Guardian's first GOLDIE award. His many other accomplishments and name-drops are chronicled at www.jraoul.org.