This volume in the budget
20th Century Masters series focuses on
Gato Barbieri's tenure with A&M -- despite the fact that he recorded for other labels owned by the Universal conglomerate, like Impulse!, where his truly seminal albums were recorded. The A&M recordings signified a complete change in direction for the Argentinean saxophonist, from iconic folk-influenced Latin and free jazz to a more marketable "smooth jazz," which
Barbieri -- to his credit or consternation (depending on your point of view) -- helped to create. The three albums represented here were all hits:
Caliente! (1976),
Ruby, Ruby (1977), and
Tropico (1978). ~ Thom Jurek