Qué Pasa is an album by the Argentine musician Gato Barbieri, released in 1997.[2][3] It was his first studio album in more than a decade.[4] Barbieri supported it with a North American tour.[5] The album was a hit on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Album chart.[6]

Qué Pasa
Studio album by
Released1997
GenreSmooth jazz
LabelColumbia[1]
ProducerPhilippe Saisse
Gato Barbieri chronology
The Third World Revisited
(1988)
Qué Pasa
(1997)
Che Corazón
(1999)

Production

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The album was produced by Philippe Saisse.[7] Barbieri and Saisse opted for more of a smooth jazz sound, and also incorporated synthesizers and programmed drums.[8][9] "The Woman I Remember" is a tribute to Barbieri's late wife.[10] "Blue Gala" is dedicated to the physical therapist who aided Barbieri after his 1995 heart surgery.[11] "Mystica" is an interpretation of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies.[12] Barbieri regretted that the album was around an hour in running time, which he thought was too long.[13]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [15]
MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide     [16]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD    [17]

The Record deemed the album "a softer blend of Latin hip-hop," writing that "it often is overloaded with the unnatural, plasticized sounds brought on by programming and overdubbing."[10] Hispanic noted that "Barbieri's one-of-a-kind muscular tone is sensual and exotic, with a universal appeal that makes his music timeless pop."[18] The Jerusalem Post concluded that, "having traveled, over the course of three decades, from primeval, screaming wildness to soft, minimal whispers, Barbieri now steers an elegant, knowing, and sensuous middle course."[19]

AllMusic wrote that Barbieri "does little other than state the 11 melodies (which range from catchy to completely forgettable), and the backing is quite anonymous, over-produced and obviously geared for potential radio airplay."[14] MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide gave the album a rare zero-star rating (woof!).[16]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Straight into the Sunrise" 
2."Blue Gala" 
3."Mystica" 
4."Dancing with Dolphins" 
5."Círculos" 
6."Guadeloupe" 
7."Cause We've Ended as Lovers" 
8."Indonesia" 
9."The Woman I Remember" 
10."Granada" 
11."Adentro" 

References

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  1. ^ Tiegel, Eliot (Aug 1997). "Latin jazz fermentations". DownBeat. Vol. 64, no. 8. pp. 10, 11.
  2. ^ "Gato Barbieri Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ McCullough, Bob (13 Mar 1997). "Gato Barbieri: Que Pasa". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 27.
  4. ^ "Jazz great is back". News. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 27 Oct 1997. p. 8.
  5. ^ McNally, Owen (6 Mar 1997). "Gato Barbieri, the impassioned tenor saxophonist...". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 18.
  6. ^ Logan, Neill (14 Nov 1997). "Sax veteran reaches for emotion". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 18.
  7. ^ Macnie, Jim (Apr 12, 1997). "Gato Barbieri's comeback set released on Columbia". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 15. pp. 10, 14.
  8. ^ Watrous, Peter (5 June 1997). "Radio Stations Enjoy Rising Ratings as Music Purists Fume". The New York Times. p. C13.
  9. ^ Kohlhaase, Bill (15 May 1998). "Jazz Cat". Los Angeles Times. p. F26.
  10. ^ a b Fox, Ron (30 May 1997). "Gato Barbieri, 'Que Pasa'". Lifestyle/Previews. The Record. p. 7.
  11. ^ "The inside track". Los Angeles Daily News. 6 June 1997. p. L15.
  12. ^ Carter, Kevin L. (20 June 1997). "Gato Barbieri Is Back from the Bad Times". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 30.
  13. ^ Booth, Philip (14 Nov 1997). "Smooth...". Ticket. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 5.
  14. ^ a b "Gato Barbieri Que Pasa". AllMusic.
  15. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 417.
  16. ^ a b MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Schirmer Trade Books. 1998. p. 64.
  17. ^ The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books Ltd. 2000. p. 92.
  18. ^ "Music". Hispanic. Vol. 10, no. 9. Sep 1997. p. 96.
  19. ^ Isaacson, David (3 May 1998). "South American sex appeal doesn't age". Arts. The Jerusalem Post. p. 7.