moved to Buenos Aires. He joined
Lalo Schifrin 's band and, despite the early influence of Charlie
Parker,
soon switched to tenor. He formed
his own quartet, often supporting visiting American jazzmen,
and his playing began to reveal
the influence of John Coltrane. In 1962, Barbieri left South America for
Italy,
where he worked for a time with a
free-form band led by Don Cherry. Although Barbieri had
earlier
turned his back on the music of
his native land, the physical distancing he now experienced gave him
more
appreciation of its jazz
potential. From the mid-60s onwards, his music took on a steadily more
distinctive
flavour as he began to incorporate
the many dance rhythms of South America into a rich and
ever-changing
backcloth for his driving
tenor-playing. Performing the commercial title track to the film Last Tango In
Paris has
since become his Albatross. Since
the early 70s Barbieri has spent much time in South America, where by
his
example and encouragement he has
helped to foster both jazz and a deeper understanding of the
continent's
own musical heritage. Over 15
years elapsed before Barbieri recorded again.
In 1997 he released Que
Pasa?.
Photograph of Gato Barbieri by
John Robert Rowlands.
