🎵 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

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Incidentally, Verve reissued this album a couple of months ago on its' "Originals" series:

I picked this up for $11.98. Nice sound to it.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

The second release of Gato Barbieri on A&M pretty much continues the format from his previous best-seller Caliente! and again has Herb Alpert as producer. Gato has a solid band behind him with nifty orchestral work from Jay Chattaway (who had been working with Maynard Ferguson as well). Gato doesn't hold back at all, as evident on the title track. Alpert contributes some trumpet noodling on "Nostalgia", which also has some exotic guitar from Lee Ritenour. One of the more sultry tunes is Marvin Gaye's "Latin Reaction", where Gato coyly sneaks in over the beginning rhythm parts. Gato revisits "Adios", this time as a full composition with some sweltering percussion behind Gato's frenzied sax work. I think this is my favorite song on the album. The album ends on Alpert's lush "Midnight Tango", where Gato displays his most passionate playing. This isn't quite as strong as Caliente!, but a solid album nevertheless. 4 stars.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

A fairly good, smokin' set... Though iCaliente! did this a notch better, there're still plenty of suprises and the greatness of this album is equally owed to the Herb Alpert production as well as the musicians Barbieri uses... Add to it the unlikely feat of covering a Marvin Gaye tune, and even covering Stevie Wonder, but still selections by them which cohesively coincide and collaborate well with the rest of the well-written original material and well-chosen cover songs...



Dave

 

[LPJim]

Since '4655' is covered here, we can move on to the next AOTW, '4656.'

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

I haven't heard the record, when we used to have "records" in decades. But look at the heavy weight trumpet section. Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm. In those days they wouldn't mention the string players. Just the String Contractor: David Nadien.

It was a great album............later...JO

 

[Mr Bill]

This is my favorite of Barbieri's A&M efforts. I used to play this back to back with Al Stewart's Time Passages album for a relaxing time while reading... the two fit well together.

--Mr. Bill

 

[toeknee4bz]

... The album ends on Alpert's lush "Midnight Tango", where Gato displays his most passionate playing.
Capt. Bacardi

The last time I chimed in on an AOTW of Gato, it was EUPHORIA, and I remember the Captain getting rather annoyed at the rating controversy. Not meaning to start anything, my only disagreement with the Cap'n this time is that "Midnight Tango" sounds to me like a practice piece. It wanders and meanders for five minutes or so and I get bored with it. Gato's playing might have been passionate, but it just dragged on a bit too long for me... IMHO. :|

I can truthfully state that RUBY, RUBY was a decent effort (even if not my favorite) from Gato's A&M period. I think we all can agree on that.

Walking on eggshells... Tony

 

[toeknee4bz]

... I used to play this back to back with Al Stewart's Time Passages album for a relaxing time while reading... the two fit well together.
-Mr. Bill

Problem for me is that once I get in an Al Stewart mood, I follow each album w/ the next, and then I'm there for several hours playing his stuff!

 

[jazzdre]

I really like this album;particularly "Ruby,Ruby"-very sensuous and also very cinematic sounding.Gato sounds like he's having a good time playing, and it comes across on the album.I've never heard "Latin Reaction"on any album before, so I wonder:did Marvin write this song exclusively for Gato? I've read some interviews with Gato, and he acknowled that they were friends, but never did he say this song came as a result of their friendship.Can you all find out for me if this was the case or not?Like I say, would like to know!

By the way, a rapper from Texas by the name of Devin The Dude sampled "Latin Reaction" for one of his raps.(thought you'd like to know that!)