🎵 AotW AOTW: Gato Barbieri - RUBY, RUBY (SP-4655)

[Captain Bacardi]

Gato Barbieri
RUBY, RUBY
A&M SP-4655

Released 1977
Peaked at #4 on the Jazz Album charts, #66 on the Pop Albums charts (1977)

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette/CD

Produced by Herb Alpert
Associate Producer: Michelle Barbieri

Songs:

• 1. Ruby (Heinz Roemheld/Mitchell Parish) - 6:29
  2. Nostalgia (Gato Barbieri) - 5:25
  3. Latin Reaction (Marvin Gaye) - 4:58
  4. Ngicuela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing (Stevie Wonder) - 5:45
  5. Sunride (Gato Barbieri) - 5:55
  6. Adios (Gato Barbieri) - 4:42
  7. Blue Angel (Gato Barbieri) - 5:46
  8. Midnight Tango (Herb Alpert) - 4:27
  
  Arranged by Jay Chattaway, Gato Barbieri and Herb Alpert
  Orchestration: Jay Chattaway

Musicians:
Gato Barbieri - Tenor Sax
Lenny White - Drums
Gary King - Bass
Joe Caro - Guitar
David Spinozza - Guitar
Eddy Martinez - Keyboards
Cachete Maldonado - Percussion
Herb Alpert - Trumpet (2)
Bernard Purdie - Drums (1)
Paulino Da Costa - Percussion (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Lee Ritenour - Guitar (1, 2, 5)
Joe Clayton - Conga (3)
Don Grolnick - Organ (3), Piano (1)
Steve Gadd - Drums (5)
Steve Jordan - Drums (6)
Eddie Guagua - Bass - (6)
Chuck Domanico - Bass (7)
Ian Underwood - Synthesizer (2, 3, 4)
Portinho - Percussion (6)
Trumpets and Flugelhorns: Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm
Trombones: Wayne Andre, David Taylor, Paul Faulise
French Horns: Peter Gordon, Tom Malone, John Gale
String Contractor: David Nadien

Recorded at A&R Recording Studios, New York; Media Sound, New York and A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Engineered by Don Hahn
Assistant Engineers: Jim Boyer - A&R Recording Studios/John Beverly Jones - A&M Recording Studios
Remixed at The Record Plant, New York and A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M Recording Studios

Art Direction: Roland Young
Album Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Francesco Scavullo



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

The Herb Alpert production (although playing the role much like a Svengali) and the crew of super studio musician heavy-weights keep Gato Barbieri's vision intact & carry out his stellar expression, projecting an enthusiastic blend of Latin jazz & fusion pop, without any of the usual cavalcade of crass commerciality or becoming any corporate conglomerate that such an approach can succumb to, given the late date Gato's competitors have tried these sorts of settings & the idea that Alpert barely goes into this type of caliber in jazz, whereas Barbieri would avoid the type of pop which has defined & characterized Herb's best work up to this point...

A good pairing of trying something new & an avoidance of excess on both parts of, making this outing pleasant, challenging to listen to, and fun, without ever getting trite...


Dave