Believe it or not, this Argentinian-born saxophonist spent his early years playing in the jazz avant-garde with the likes of
Don Cherry. But for all his free-form experiments, "the Cat" hit his stride with this pristine piece of seminal pop-jazz. His emotional, warm-blooded playing, gritty-sweet tone, and Latin-laced grooves slide down smooth and easy. Covers of
Santana's
"Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" and
Marvin Gaye's
"I Want You" remain faithful to the originals' vibe, yet take on a seductive Spanish accent thanks to
Barbieri's expressive tenor and a battery of Latin percussion. Elsewhere, hip-swiveling rhythms and tuneful arrangements of cuts like
"Fiesta," "Behind the Rain," and
"Los Desperados" simply simmer. Drummer
Lenny White kicks down a rock-solid beat, percussionists
Ralph MacDonald and
Mtume add the spice that's funky and nice, and producer
Herb Alpert (of
Tijuana Brass, and the "A" in
A&M Records) polishes the proceedings to a glossy sheen with colorful orchestrations and silky strings.
![The Complete Birth of the Cool [Blue Note]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602577850486_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Complete Birth of the Cool [Blue Note]")
![Day Breaks [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602557800852_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Day Breaks [Deluxe Edition]")
!['Til We Meet Again [Live]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602435689845_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "'Til We Meet Again [Live]")
