Gato Barbieri paints a colorful world of sound

"I want to die playing," said Gato Barbieri, in one of a few brief remarks during his marathon, two-hour opening at Jazz Alley Tuesday.

The charismatic Argentinean pop/jazz tenor saxophonist, enjoying a comeback in the smooth-jazz market with his album "Che Corazon" (Columbia), appears with his quintet through Sunday ($20.50-$24.50; 206-441-9729).

Barbieri, whose mix of Latin folk forms and jazz was one of the biggest attractions on the '70s festival circuit, folds together a farrago of styles that, in other players, might well be a conflict.

His closest North American counterpart is probably Pharaoh Sanders, whose resolution of avant-garde screams, brooding vamps and a quiet center also has garnered an audience beyond the jazz faithful. With Gato, of course, there is the added attraction of Latin rhythms, drawn not only from his native tango, but a South American panorama extending to pre-Colombian and Afro-South American beats.

And then there is the drama of his presence — a grave, existential figure, like a bullfighter, bedecked in his trademark black fedora, and flamboyant white scarf and red shirt.

Tuesday, Gato, 67, seemed a bit weary, and, oddly, appeared to be chewing gum throughout his performance. Nevertheless, he and his supple ensemble delivered a generous set, often segueing directly from one tune to the next, or embedding one song inside another.

The set included his signature hit, "Europa," as well as "Summertime," "I Want You," "Fiesta" and "Latin America," among others. Every once in a while, the saxophonist would shout "Hey!" into the microphone, to accent a passage.

The gig highlighted both Barbieri's strengths and weaknesses. Among the former is his unmistakably personal, buzzing, vocalized sound, which seared through the thicket of exotic colors created by percussionist Frank Colon. Cascading over the keys, chattering and chewing on rhythms, insinuating himself into microtones — the notes between the notes — and overblowing, to produce shrieks and growling chords, Barbieri painted a world of sound.

The problem with this colorist approach, however, was that it came in spurts and starts, developing no ideas. Part of jazz is telling a story. This music merely set a mood.

And a minor, Spanish-tinged mood it is, which rapidly became monotonous, in spite of its underpinning of rhythmic variety. It didn't help that the quartet began nearly every tune with a melodramatic, rubato introduction, then slid into a repetitive pattern. Even the set as a whole had little emotional shape.

Instead of taking us on a grand journey, Gato seemed content simply to get us into the boat and float. Sure, you could close your eyes and bliss out, which is exactly what the fairly large crowd at the Alley seemed happy to do, though many appeared restless toward the end of the ride.

But give Barbieri credit. No matter how he's being marketed, this ain't "smooth jazz." This guy's got hair on his chops. So do his band members. Pianist Hector Martignon played crisp solos, bassist Mario Rodriguez displayed beautiful, guitar-like chord work and drummer Robbie Gonzalez was rock solid and responsive.

Around town

• Back north of the border, irrepressible guitarist Bill Frisell's new quartet project, Varmint — Wayne Horvitz (keyboards), Paul "PK" Kemmish (bass) and Kevin Sawka (drums) — mixes club grooves with jazz improv, 9 p.m. Saturday at I-Spy ($12-$14; 206-374-9492).

• Earshot's spring series finishes up Monday at I-Spy on a club 'n' dub note, as well, with French "new jazz" trumpeter Eric Truffaz, who plays Miles Davis-like smears over ambient beats ($10-$12; 206-547-6763).

• A better bet in the trumpet department that night is locally grown, inside/outside jazz man Jim Knodle, whose quartet Acoustic Reign (Brian Kent, saxophone; Reuben Radding, bass; and Jack Gold, drums) plays the stimulating and much-valued Oxygen Lounge series at the Rainbow ($5; 206-634-1761) with Acoustic Reign.

Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com