Soaring, searing sounds from the young Gato Barbieri – one of his classic albums for the Flying Dutchman label, and very much in the vein of his first few for Impulse Records! The Latin element isn't as strongly stated in the music as you might guess from the title, but the inspiration is definitely there – although more subtle than on Gato's Latin America series for the other label – and the tunes are a wonderful blend of soulful soloing, modal grooves, and unbridled emotion! Lonnie Liston Smith is playing piano on most cuts, and he's a perfect blend for Barbieri's horn – giving it the same sort of soulful base as in his classic recordings with Pharoah Sanders – and pushing the tracks with a pulsating modal undercurrent that keeps things moving throughout! Titles include "Merceditas", "Eclypse/Michellina", "Bolivia", and "Vidala Triste". CD

A great summation of the Gato Barbieri recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – and a set that includes a key new composition too! Some of the record features older Barbieri tracks for Flying Dutchman, but the highlight here is the extended 13-minute suite, "El Gato" – a wonderful number composed by Oliver Nelson, and done with a soaring, spiritual vibe that's a wonderful summation of his genius at the time – that Pharoah Sanders way of blowing in really long, searching solos, but never going too outside. Other tracks are great – and all have a nice Latin current – and feature work from Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Mtume on drums, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Airto on percussion – on titles that include "El Parana", "Merceditas", and "Ninos". CD

12 tracks. CD

One of the greatest moments ever from saxophonist Gato Barbieri – and that's saying a lot, given that by the time of this recording, he'd already had a great 60s run as an avant jazz musician, and started the 70s with a string of albums that criss-crossed jazz and South American musical styles! Yet Last Tango In Paris may well be Barbieri's crowning achievement – a sublime record that draws on all the richer, more emotive themes of his Latin America projects, but gives them new focus in the arrangements of Oliver Nelson – who ensures that the music is never too cheesy or overdone – quite a feat, given the sexy setting of the film! Gato draws a lot from Argentine tango, but often uses his own sax solos in place of a more familiar bandoneon – in a way that pushes the "new tango" mode of the time even farther – especially when set amidst Nelson's wonderful orchestrations. Titles include many versions of the "Last Tango" theme, plus the tracks "Girl In Black", "Jeanne", "Why Did She Choose You?", "It's Over", and "Fake Ophelia". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set from the great Gato Barbieri – one of the gems from his earlier years on record, and an album that's very much in the best spirit of his sides for Impulse in the early 70s! There' definitely some Latin currents in the rhythm – not as strongly stated as on his Latin America series for that other label, but still there in the conception – and Gato blows with that sharp, soulful, spiritual tone that we love so much from this period – so different than the later sound of his smoother records. Lonnie Liston Smith is on piano in the group – getting pretty outside at times, as on his work with Pharoah Sanders – and the combo also features lots of great percussion from Airto and Mtume, too. All tracks are nice and long, and very searching – and titles include "El Parana", "Antonico", "El Sertao", and "Maria Domingas". CD

Two jazz giants of the 70s come together on this rare Italian recording from the late 60s – South African pianist Dollar Brand (Abdulla Ibrahim) and Argentine tenorist Gato Barbieri – both working here in spare duo formation, with edges that are a fair bit sharper than most of their later work! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds – a tremendous spirit that makes the record very different than freer jazz outings, and which maybe points the way towards some of the classic European tenor/piano recordings to come. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit – and titles include "Hamba Khale", "The Aloe & The Wildrose", and "To Elsa". CD

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2 of Gato Barbieri's greatest albums of the 70s – back to back on one CD! Bolivia is one of Gato's better albums from the early 70s – and like a lot of his Latin-themed ones, a swirling mix of soulful soloing, modal grooves, and unbridled emotion. Lonnie Liston Smith is playing piano on most cuts, and he's a perfect blend for Barbieri's horn – giving it the same sort of soulful base as in his classic recordings with Pharoah Sanders. Titles include "Merceditas", "Eclypse", "Bolivia", and "Vidala Triste". Under Fire is filled with Latin rhythm influences forged on Gato's Impulse sessions of the same time, plus some nice spiritual blowing in the Pharoah Sanders tradition in which he was linked in the immediate post-Coltrane years. Airto and Mtume are on percussion on most tracks, and Lonnie Liston Smith plays some pretty outside piano on the set. All tracks are long, and titles include "El Parana", "Antonico", "El Sertao", and "Maria Domingas". CD

One of Gato Barbieri's later recordings – but don't hold that against it! The set's a smoother effort than most of Gato's earlier work, but it's also still pretty darn soulful – done in a way that allows plenty of space for his raspy reed work on tenor to flow over the top of larger arrangements that have a nice electric touch. Players include Eric Gale and Joe Beck on guitars, Don Grolnick on keyboards, and Mtume and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – both of whom give the tunes a nice earthy undercurrent when needed. And while we might be put off by the larger, more heavily-arranged sound – Gato himself is still in charge of the charts, and keeps things nicely focused in a soulfully expressive way! Titles include "Firelies", "Fiesta", "Europa", "Don't Cry Rochelle", "Behind The Rain", "Los Desperados", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by reedman Gato Barbieri – and a very sharp-edged session that's quite different than his better-known work in the 70s! Barbieri's tenor here has an incredible tone – as deeply soulful as Pharoah Sanders or late John Coltrane, and blown with a great sense of freedom – really stretching out on the album's long tracks. Gato never lets himself get too unfocused, though – and the album's an illustration of a side of his talents that was perhaps only shown this well on his recordings with Don Cherry. Players include Calo Scott on cello, Sirone on bass, and Bobby Kapp on drums – and the album's got a vibe that easily matches other ESP sets from the time by Charles Tyler or Sonny Simmons. Titles include "In Search Of The Mystery", "Obsession No 2", "Michelle", and "Cinematheque". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful record from Gato Barbieri – almost a return to more traditional forms, but still graced with the searching, burning quality that made most of his early 70s sides so great! The tracks are all long and exploratory – and have Gato blowing with that tremendous tenor tone – a mix of late Coltrane and Pharoah, with some warmer, sentimental touches that really send us. The rest of the group includes George Dalto on electric and acoustic piano, Pretty Purdie on drums, and Paul Metzke on guitar – and most of the tracks feature added Latin percussion – not too much, but just the right amount to make them bounce along in a rhythmic groove. Totally great all the way through, and with tracks that include "Carinoso", "Marnie", "A John Coltrane Blues", and "Yesterdays". CD

Arguably the best of Cherry's albums for Blue Note – and a real masterpiece of soulful avant playing! The group features Cherry on cornet, Gato Barbieri on tenor (and he's incredible, by the way!), Henry Grimes on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. Grimes and Blackwell are more than just timekeepers – and deliver a lot of the melody of the session, yet still never lose their sense of swing. Barbieri's fragile raw tone proves to be a good one to work with Cherry, even if there are a few touches of Ornette in his playing. The album's divided up into 2 long suites – "Complete Communion" and "Elephantasy" – both of which are excellent. A real treat – with no sloppiness, lots of fresh ideas, and a good sense of both freedom and control! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant late statement from Tino Contreras – the legendary Mexican drummer who's been part of the jazz scene in Mexico City for decades – and who can still give the world wonderfully vibrant music like this! There's a deeply spiritual vibe to the record – a sound that's like some of Tino's most far-reaching work of the late 70s – and the group here features added percussion alongside piano, organ, saxes, and guitar – both acoustic and electric, which creates a great bridge in the sense of sound – as the music swirls together with a sense of majesty that almost recalls the best Latin America projects of Gato Barbieri on Impulse Records. All tunes are originals by Contreras, delivered with a fantastic spirit by the group – and titles include "Mascaras Blues", "Nina Yahel", "El Sacrificio", "Al Amanecer", and "Malinche". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant late statement from Tino Contreras – the legendary Mexican drummer who's been part of the jazz scene in Mexico City for decades – and who can still give the world wonderfully vibrant music like this! There's a deeply spiritual vibe to the record – a sound that's like some of Tino's most far-reaching work of the late 70s – and the group here features added percussion alongside piano, organ, saxes, and guitar – both acoustic and electric, which creates a great bridge in the sense of sound – as the music swirls together with a sense of majesty that almost recalls the best Latin America projects of Gato Barbieri on Impulse Records. All tunes are originals by Contreras, delivered with a fantastic spirit by the group – and titles include "Mascaras Blues", "Nina Yahel", "El Sacrificio", "Al Amanecer", and "Malinche". CD

Fantastic work from this groundbreaking reedman – an incredibly rhythmic fusion of roots and jazz – very much in the best European tradition of the 70s! Hugo blows tenor, alto, soprano sax, and flute – but also plays some percussion too, on a record that's very heavy on percussion overall – thanks to work from Ivanir Mandrake Do Nascimento on congas and percussion, and Peter Schmidlin on percussion and drums! The album's also noteworthy for piano from Horace Parlan – a player who's usually on straighter jazz dates, but who balances out the sound wonderfully – and really gives the album a strong, deep soul. Peter Frei plays bass, and given the searing sound of Hugo's tenor, there's almost a vibe here at times that's like some of the Gato Barbieri jazz/world experiments from earlier in the decade. Titles include "El Beto", "Have YOu Met Miss", "Tunita", "Al Bebbe Guia", and "Carmen Pequena". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes tracks by Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Al Cohn, Joe Williams, Earl Hines, Gato Barbieri, Gil Evans, and Woody Herman. CD

Great early work from Jorge Lopez Ruiz – an Argentine bassist who we already know for his more experimental recordings in the 70s – already sounding like a committed modernist here at the start of the 60s, in very hip group that also includes a young Gato Barbieri on tenor! The titles a reference to Buenos Airies Jazz – music that really seems to reflect the hipper sound of that important national capitol – as Ruiz works here with a very cool group that reminds us of some of the best Italian modernists of the same time – able to absorb the best styles of the American scene, but deliver them with a very special flavor, and a surprising degree of soul! The titles here are a mix of numbers by Ruiz, John Coltrane, Gato Barbieri, and others – played by a group that features the young Gato on tenor, alongside Roberto Fernandez on trumpet, Ruben Lopez Furst on piano, and Pichi Mazzei on drums. Titles include "Pablo", "Like Sonny", "Village Blues", "Vicky", "Trauma", "Berklee Waltz", and "Hiroshima". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from vibist Gary Burton – two RCA albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Lofty Fake Anagram – a standout classic from Burton, and the kind of fresh-voiced and angularly modern session that showed why his sound on the vibes was one of the most revolutionary in jazz at the time! The session features a quartet with Larry Coryell on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Bob Moses on drums – all working in a style that's got touches of modal jazz, and fragments of the Walt Dickerson sound – yet which is also a bit looser, freer, and more spacious – all without going too far "out". Titles include "Lines", "I'm Your Pal", "Fleurette Africaine", "Feelings & Things", "June The 15th, 1967", and "Good Citizen Swallow". Next up is Genuine Tong Funeral – billed as "A Dark Opera Without Words", an extended piece written by Carla Bley, and performed by the Burton quartet with help from a larger group that includes Steve Lacy, Gato Barbieri, Michael Mantler, and Bley herself. As such, the album's probably the most ambitious one that Burton ever recorded during the 60s – never too far out, but with angular tones and strange time changes that mark the record as being quite different from his other sides for RCA. It also makes it one of his best, too – as the record has that wonderfully fresh sound that you get from early work by Bley, never too silly, and with a serious approach to composition that also never loses sight of its roots in jazz. Titles include "The New Funeral March", "Silent Spring", "Mother Of The Dead Man", "Death Rolls", and "The New National Anthem". CD

A nice little package dedicated to the films of Bernardo Bertolucci – one that features a host of great themes from a variety of different films – including Partner, Novecento, Last Tango In Paris, Little Buddha, Dreamers, The Conformist, and Prima Della Rivoluzione. The CD offers up a full range of themes from famous Bertolucci movies – and includes "Cha Cha Cha Cantato" by Piero Piccioni, "Vecchia Hollywood" by Ennio Morricone, "Chi Pi Felice Di Me" by Georges Delerue, "Il Conformista" by Augusto Martelli, "Splash" by Ennio Morricone, "Why Did She Choose You" by Gato Barbieri, "Tema Di Ada" by Ennio Morricone, "The Last Emperor" by John Williams, "Little Buddha" by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and "La Tragedia Di Un Nomo Ridiculo" by Ennio Morricone. CD