''In Search of the Mystery'' is the debut album by saxophonist

Gato Barbieri Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (November 28, 1932 – April 2, 2016) was an Argentine jazz tenor saxophonist who rose to fame during the free jazz movement in the 1960s and is known for his Latin jazz recordings of the 1970s. His nickname, Gato, is Spa ...

. It was recorded in New York City on March 15, 1967, and was released later that year by

ESP-Disk ESP-Disk is a New York–based record company and label founded in 1963 by lawyer Bernard Stollman. History Though it originally existed to release Esperanto-based music, beginning with its second release (Albert Ayler's ''Spiritual Unity''), E ...

. On the album, Barbieri is joined by cellist

Calo Scott Calo Scott (March 11, 1920 - August 9, 1998) was a Cuban-American jazz cellist. He is one of the earliest known jazz cellists. He established himself in the 1950s through working with the saxophonist Gerry Mulligan when "having a cello player as a ...

, bassist Norris Jones, and drummer Bobby Kapp.

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Michael G. Nastos wrote: "While the string players swim around the rhythms of Kapp, Barbieri dives right in with no fear of the outcome, allowing the others to stretch into harmonic and sonic arenas of their own choosing. This democratic approach enhances the music without need for time signatures... this unique recording... must be considered one of arbieri'sprime -- if not primal -- early works." The authors of ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' stated: "To anyone who only knows the Latin Barbieri... this early disc... will come as a complete shock... the... album is howlingly intense and unremitting." Raul d'Gama Rose of ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' commented: "Gato Barbieri winds up and uncorks a meandering apocalyptic shout that begins with a growling, sinewy tenor and often returns there via a continuous spiral of bell-like primal screeches. He is probing, poking the tones of the tenor and searching madly for a timbral key to unlock a hidden route to harmonic peace." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

s John Fordham called the album "a unique document," and stated that it finds Barbieri "unleashing fearsome multiphonic tenor-sax blasts... It's pretty full-on." A reviewer for ''The Free Jazz Collective'' remarked: "this quartet does what it should do: play the bejesus out of their instruments. Barbieri plays like we know him from his collaborations with Carla Bley and Don Cherry: screaming, overblowing, full blast and full energy, but full of a natural melodicism and fully supported by this band."

Track listing

All compositions by Gato Barbieri. Track timings not provided. # "In Search of the Mystery" # "Michelle" # "Obsession No. 2" # "Cinemateque"

Personnel

– saxophone *

– cello * Norris Jones – bass * Bobby Kapp – drums

References

{{authority control 1967 debut albums ESP-Disk albums Gato Barbieri albums