RAW Picks, Joel Reviews (RPJR#2): Gato Barbieri -Fénix

In case you missed RPJR#1, we are trying something new. The RAW Music Store team picks a random jazz record or two and I will write up a short review. We will try and do this weekly. Here is a link to the first article.

LP Review: Gato Barbieri ‎– Fénix (1971)

FLYING DUTCHMAN RECORDS, JAPAN, 1978 RE-ISSUE, PG-111

Artist

Leandro “Gato” Barbieri (1932 – 2016) was a musician from Argentina who, according to many experts, made a significant impact on modern jazz. 

Barbieri played many styles. From traditional Latin rhythms in his early years to jazz avant-garde in the ’60s, going back to South American music in the early ’70s, then playing pop and fusion in the late ’70s and switching back and forth between these many styles during the rest of his career. 

Label

This is a 1978 Japanese re-issue on the Flying Dutchman Records label, a record label with a fantastic logo as you can see. Flying Dutchman Records was a jazz label established in New York in 1969 by Bob Thiele, a well-known jazz producer, and photographer. The company started releasing LPs in 1969 with the 10100 Series (about 100 LPs) which ran to 1973. In 1969 they established the BluesTime label to record blues music, issuing ten albums between 1969 and 1970. They also issued some reggae. Click Here to read a short article with interesting background and photos.

I mean, look at this cool record label!

Music

I have to admit I have a ‘problem’. My problem is that I never heard a record of Gato Barbieri that I really liked.  That can have two reasons; a) I don’t like his music :-), or b) I listened to the wrong records (I certainly have not listened to his entire discography).  I guess he must have made one record I like. Perhaps a next time, because this one ain’t it… But read on, it’s not all bad…. 🙂

The reason why I am not too fond of his music is that I hear these different styles all mixed up together and that mix just doesn’t do it for me. Free jazz with Latin rhythms and then fusion and poppy melodies. His blowing style on the sax is certainly distinctive with a rather rough sound.  He was inspired by Charlie Parker and you can hear that in his somewhat angular and assertive blowing style.

The players on this album are first class: Joe Beck on electric guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Lennie White on drums, and some others I had not heard of playing various percussion instruments. I can see why people like Gato. This is innovative music with a lot of variation and interesting melodic lines.

Listen to this track called ‘El día que me quieras’.  I think it’s the best track on the album, with ‘Bahia’ and ‘El Arriero’ coming in second and third. Why? It’s probably the jazziest and does not try to be too many things at the same time.

RAW has this LP available for 90 AED, it looks in fine condition for a 44-year-old record :-), no Obi but with insert and it sounds pretty good. CLICK HERE

You can listen to the entire album here,

Tracklist:

1. (A) Tupac Amaru
2. (A) Carnavalito
3. (A) Falsa bahiana
4. (B) El día que me quieras
5. (B) El arriero
6. (B) Bahía

Personnel:

• Gato Barbieri – tenor saxophone
• Na Ná – berimbau, conga
• Gene Golden – conga, bongo drums
• Lenny White III – drums
• Ron Carter – electric bass
• Lonnie Liston Smith – piano, electric piano
• Joe Beck – electric guitar (A1)