Crate Digger’s Gold – Gato Barbieri – Para Los Amigos

I can’t find any background information about this album.  Gato Barbieri has a unique jazz style.  He was very popular in the late 70’s and early 80’s yet he was neither jazz rock fusion or smooth jazz.  He made his name in the free jazz movement of the 60’s and 70’s.  It has a distinctive Latin feel.  Gato generally blows his tenor hard – almost like a R&B guy like King Curtis, yet jazzy like Sonny Rollins.

This album is a live and it sounds like a real party.  Gato’s studio output from this time period was a touch slick, so it is fun to hear him just cut loose.  There are some great players on this – notable to me Eddie Martinez on piano and Bernard Purdie on drums.  I am not familiar with the bass player (Lincoln Goins), but he is fantastic.  There are some mildly annoying vocals (in Spanish) that take away from the performance for me, but muscle through them and savor the hard blowing by Gato.

A side note this album was on  Jazz Doctor a label founded by record producer Bob Thiele who also was responsible for Flying Dutchman.  I find the logo for the label very cool.  If anyone can find a quality .jpg of the send it my way – can’t you see this on a t-shirt!