Gary Bartz

Alto saxophonist Gary Bartz attended the Juilliard Conservatory of Music and became a member of Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop from 1962-1964 where he worked with Eric Dolphy and encountered McCoy Tyner for the first time. He also began gigging as a sideman in the mid-'60s with Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, and later as a member of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. His recording debut was on Blakey's Soul Finger album…

Veteran alto and soprano saxophonist Gary Bartz's debut recording for the Dutch Timeless label is one of his finest efforts as he enlisted the services of pianist Benny Green, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Victor Lewis, and tenor saxophonist Willie Williams on three selections to perform an unusual program of one Bartz composition, three jazz classics, two movie themes, and one radio theme. Bartz's strong tone, sense of swing, and improvisational imagination place him within the ranks of jazz's finest saxophonists, and he proves it throughout this recording. Favorites include the title track, which is actually two Bartz compositions, one medium, one up, joined by an excellent McBride bass solo; John Coltrane's "Song of the Underground Railroad," performed up-tempo, in the spirit of Coltrane all the way down to a blistering sax-drums duet; McCoy Tyner's "Peresina," a medium Afro-Latin number with the melody played by the not-heard-enough combination of tenor and alto sax; and Wayne Shorter's "Children of the Night" where the melody is played over a hip groove by McBride and Lewis and features one of the best Bartz solos on record.

Gary Bartz - Anthology (2004) {Soul Brother Records CD SBPJ 23}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 537 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 183 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 35 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1970s, 2004 Soul Brother Records / Passion Music | CD SBPJ 23
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Modern Creative / Soul Jazz

Soul Brother has given us a long overdue compilation of Gary Bartz's experimental jazz material from the 1970s, beginning with his classic Harlem Bush Music albums, Taifa and Uhuru from 1970 and 1971, with his band NTU Troop. While it's impossible to overstate the influence his brief tenure with Miles Davis had on him (Bartz is featured on the Live-Evil recordings), the saxophonist and composer was exploring other avenues of creative black music as well, from funk to soul to the blues. The 12 cuts here begin with the sublime "Celestial Blues," from that seminal NTU Troop debut set.

Music Is My Sanctuary is an album by American jazz musician Gary Bartz. It was released in 1977 on Capitol Records.

Ntu with Gary Bartz - Singerella: A Ghetto Fairy Tale (1973) {Prestige-BGP Records CDBGPM 219 rel 2010}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 93 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1973-74, 2010 Prestige / Concord Music / BGP Records / Ace Records | CDBGPM 219
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Fusion / Saxophone

Digitally re-mastered edition of this 1973 album. Saxophonist Bartz is one of the great post-Coltrane saxophonists. He made his professional name in New York in the early '60s before hooking up with McCoy Tyner later in the decade, and played with Miles Davis in the period immediately after the release of Bitches Brew. He formed his band the NTU Troop at the same time and began to experiment with Funk rhythms, lyrics and Jazz improvisations.