Chapter One: Latin America

"Chapter One: Latin America" marks a pivotal moment in Gato Barbieri's career after his signing with Impulse! Records. Following his work with avant-garde musicians and his acclaimed "Last Tango in Paris" soundtrack, this album represents a significant artistic evolution. Rather than collaborating with jazz musicians, Barbieri returned to Argentina to record with traditional folk musicians, using indigenous instruments like wooden flutes, bomba drums, quenas, Indian harps, and charangos. The result seamlessly blends jazz with authentic Latin American traditions, showcasing Barbieri's most melodic and emotionally raw saxophone playing to date. This first installment in his four-part Latin America series stands as an overlooked masterpiece of 1970s jazz.