Search - Gato Barbieri :: Shadow of the Cat

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Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 05/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have followed Gato Barbieri through the ups, downs and detours of his career and I am happy to announce that Shadow Of The Cat finds him back in top form after having slipped a bit with his rather lackluster Che Corazon CD of several years back. Just maybe its the presence of his old friend Herb Alpert that helped him rebound, I don't know, but Alpert's appearance certainly is a plus. In my opinion, this is Barbieri's best effort since the Alpert-produced Caliente of 30 years ago.
Shadow of the Cat opens strongly with a couple of scorchers that are classic Barbieri AND classic Alpert. It then slows down with the very romantic Last Kiss, which is essentially his "Theme From Firepower" done at half the speed of the fiery original.
Tierra Del Fuego and Bliss are a couple of very funky jazz numbers that evoke the best of the Crusaders. And one of the very best songs on the CD is a smooth remake of his classic Last Tango.
When I first heard the song If I Was Your Woman, done both in English and later in Spanish, I didn't care too much for it but it grew on me as I played the CD over and over. AI AI AI AI would be nearly perfect except for the [bad] vocals that nearly foul up the ending. The vocal tracks are Gato's only concession to the "smooth jazz" crowd this time around.
Whether you are an old fan or a new convert to jazz Gato-style, you should find a lot to like on this CD. I reiterate, its one of his best. There isn't a single bad cut. Don't miss it."

One of his best

Kurt Harding | 07/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent CD. Even though Gato is 70 he has never sounded better. The material is exciting and there is alot of interesting twists on this CD. One is Herb Alpert who also sounds great!!. another is Cassandra Reed a new vocalist who brings a very fresh spirit to the Cd singing If I was your woman in English and Spanish. (her new Cd is also excellent!)
I heard that this C) won the Billboard magazine Latin jazz album of the year and also just go nominated for a Latin Grammy award for latin jazz Album of the year.Both very much deserved. This CD is a keeper anyway that you put it. One of the best Cd's of 2003"

The Shadow of The Cat Review

Michael Moore | Chicago, IL USA | 11/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like Gato Barbieri, then you'll love this album. Latin sounds and the haunting saxaphone make you want to listen to this album over and over again. He's still blowin strong. Also a new version of his Theme from Last Tango in Paris makes you realize what a genius this guy really is. Some cameo appearances from Herb Alpert and percussionist Sheila E. You can't get anymore latin than that."