Gato Barbieri, Latin Jazz saxophonist, dies at age 83
The Argentine-born musician won a Grammy Award in 1973 for music he composed for the film ‘Last Tango in Paris’
Grammy winning Latin Jazz saxophonist Leandro “Gato” Barbieri has died at a New York hospital.
Barbieri’s wife Laura says her husband died on Saturday of pneumonia at age 83.
The Argentine-born musician recorded 35 albums between 1967 and 1982 and won a Grammy Award in 1973 for music he composed for the film Last Tango in Paris.
Barbieri earned the nickname “El Gato,” which means the cat, in the 1950s because of the way he scampered between clubs in Buenos Aires with his saxophone to make his next gig.
He was credited with creating a rebellious but accessible musical style when he was awarded a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2015.
Barbieri continued to perform in recent years at the Blue Note jazz club in New York.
