Customer Reviews

Latino America

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This double-CD compilation captures the Argentine saxophone phenomenon Gato Barbieri at the height of his powers. Marvelous blending of tango and samba rhythms, propulsive saxophone solos, and scintillating Andean and Brazilian percussion. If you like the smoother Gato of the mid-1970s to mid-1980s (Caliente, Ruby Ruby, Tropico, etc.), this one's probably gonna be too heavy for you. But if you're a true fan of the raw, unadulterated, Latin-flavored Gato (not the American record producers' idea of Gato as an upscale lounge act), get this great collection. You won't be disappointed. And if you lock into this groove, then go get the superb Flying Dutchman albums that preceded this one: El Pampero, Bolivia, Fenix, and Under Fire. These (and Latino America) are all available on CD at Amazon and preserve the greatest work of one of the real giants of modern jazz. Viva Gato!

If ever there was a second Gato Barbieri release (in addition to Last Tango in Paris) that should have won a Grammy, Latino America is surely it. When Gato realized his dream of blending North American jazz with South American music by recording with South American musicians on their home turf in the mid-1970's, he went from being a larger-than-life legend to being a true jazz god. Although other jazz musicians before Gato had tried out similar ideas, this effort stands apart for the approach Gato took to blending native instruments, sounds and ideas with traditional jazz - and also for the clever, cinematic touch that has become one of his special trademarks. You may find the music on this two-CD set difficult listening if you are accustomed to the soothing sound of Gato's warm, rich, erotic tenor made so popular by his rendition of Santana's Europa, but if you really listen with an open heart and mind, you will find amazing treasures on this recently reissued set. Note the fascinating contrast Gato has set up between Argentine and Brazilian musical to his fascinatingly different versions of Nunca Mas - a great tune recorded in collaboration with bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi. My favorite part though, is Gato's wonderfully cinematic end to chapter one, "To Be Continued." Here he explains the project by building the sound of the group one instrument at a time, introducing each one in turn, while at the same time introducing you to the sound that is about to come on the second CD. As he builds the sound, he builds the drama, and he does this so effectively that when he wails into his own screeching solo, he absolutely chills up my spine! Then he drops right down into his deep, warm rich tone to make this one of the most dramatic contrasts I have ever heard in a solo. This amazingly creative music deserves some real listening! And make sure you read the engaging (and often very humorous) liner notes written by producer Ed Michel - they provide a perspective on the creation of the music that you won't read anywhere else.

I can't help it....I hear the first cut on this CD and my feet start going and my head starts bopping. Since I first heard the Chapter Series back in the 70s these recordings have been among my favorite recordings of the Argentinean master. This Impulse reissue contains all of the music recorded during Gato's historic sessions in Argentina and Brazil. And the joy in each cut is positively infectious.

In the early 70s, when these recordings were done, Gato was one of a generation of post-Coltrane free jazz players, possessed of a huge tenor sound and a screech that would give Pharaoh Sanders a run for his money. He had released one very avant-garde album on ESP, and several wonderful, percussive records on Flying Dutchman, as well as appearing as a stalwart on many albums by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler. And he has won a Grammy for the sultry, sexy sounds that added so much to the movie, Last Tango in Paris. But one sensed that Gato was looking for something new, something to connect his Coltrane-influenced free jazz with his Latino roots. These sessions provided an almost spiritual grounding for the tenor player. He did two sessions, one in Buenos Aires and one in Rio. Assembled were musicians who represented many of the traditions of the entire South American continent. Andean flutes and harps would blend with samba percussion and tango bands to produce an exciting pan-Latin stew of indigenous instruments and traditions. Overtop this mix, Gato would sail in with his incendiary sax sound, and the party would blow the roof off the studio.

The cuts are all strong. Gato finds a marvelous balance between the folkloric elements in the band and his own strong jazz sound. He also creates music that is both accessible and still wild enough to satisfy a free jazz fan. Most tunes are based on a two-chord vamp with a melody that repeats. In between repeats Gato blows some pretty wild solos, often stretching the tunes to ten minutes or longer. Among my favorites pieces are Encuentros and Encontros. They are basically the same tune, but the first is done with a typical Quencha triple time feel, while the second is performed more as a traditional samba. In both cases, Gato's sax crests in wave after wave until he just explodes at the end of each take. It leaves you breathless.

The album also shows off Gato's basic strengths without making the weaknesses apparent. Gato main strength is a marvelous tone...big, sexy and slightly dirty, with a pronounced edge. When he squeezes the sound into one of his shrieks, it is as powerful as any distorted guitar sound and sends chills up and down the spine. Gato is marvelous at interpreting an existing melody or using his gorgeous tone to pull the most emotion out of a simple riff. What Gato is not so good at is an extended structured solo, al la Coltrane. His gift of melodic improvisation isn't that well developed compared to Trane or Sonny Rollins. But wisely, Gato doesn't try to force this on the CD and instead plays up the tone, making the experience a visceral one indeed.

After this recording and a few others in the series on Impulse, Gato left the label to record on A&M with Herb Alpert. Since then, he has moved farther and farther into the smooth jazz world. He is a fine smooth jazz player. The form further plays up to his strengths in interpreting melody. But I miss the fire and the raw edged saxophone shrieks. And no album of his that I've heard in the intervening years has the unbridled joy of this non-stop South American party. Thank you Impulse for bringing this wonderful music out again!

Everything about this double CD exudes energy and enthusiasm- from Ed Michel's stream-of-remembrance liner notes (written over 20 years after the fact,but entertaining nonetheless) to the music itself. The rawness of the collaboration between GB and "native" South American musicians is part of this recording's appeal. What makes this record great is the sheer audacity of Barbieri's coupling of his buzzsaw late-Coltrane sound to authetic latin-american rhythm sections. For me, highlights include the jewel-like "Nunca Mas" with Dino Saluzzi on accordeon- sensitive jazz-tango if ever there was such a thing, and the alternate take of "Latino America" on disc 2- recorded in Rio. In terms of my own playing, (trumpet/piano), this album has changed the way I approach melody and composition. the Barbieri-composed melodies consist principally of modulating "fragments" (eg. the themes of "Latino America" or "La China....". Of course, Coltrane did this two (ie. "A Love Supreme", etc), but for me, this approach to composition (and playing of compositions) only really sunk in on listening to this. This is NOT easy listening, (no Herb Alpert arrngments on this album's radar screen!) but those with open ears should find plenty of sustenance here.

If I had to come up with one adjective to describe Gato Barbieri's "Latino America," the word I would use is "smokin'!" This is one fiery jazz album. Just listen to the opening track, which builds slowly in terms of tempo and dynamics, until Gato comes out blazing with his tenor sax and sets everything on fire. Anyone who loves great music should get this disc, especially folks who appreciate Latin jazz or jazz with South American flavors. It's shameful that this disc is out of print. Snap it up while you can!

This compilation is not for those elevator jazz types that faint at true innovation. Gato brings the indiginous music from andes into his free jazz playing to forge a unique work like the Gillespie, Pozo collabortions of the forties.It is sad to hear what he is doing now compared to this.

This album does not represent the true Gato by any stretch of the imagination. This artist has done some truly magnificent work with most of his other albums but this one sounds more like some very stale Latino musician wannabe's. Please don't let this discourage you from the artist, only this cd.