Two time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Gary Bartz first came to New York City in September of 1958 to attend Juiliard Conservatory Of Music. Just 17 years old He turned 18 on September 26 of that year. Gary couldnโt wait to come to the city to play and learn. โIt was a very good time for the music in New York, at the end of what had been referred to in the press as the be-ยญโbop eraโ, says Bartz. โCharlie Parker had passed away three years previously, but Milesโ group was in its heyday, Monk was down at the Five Spot and Ornette was just coming to town. Things were freshโ. Back then, Gary could regularly be found drinking cokes in the all ages โpeanut galleryโ of Birdland, enjoying a marathon bill of of performers. โIf I didnโt have the money to get in, Iโd help somebody carry a drum or show my horn and act like I was performing and sneak inโ, laughs Bartz. โI learned that early onโ....
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Two time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Gary Bartz first came to New York City in September of 1958 to attend Juiliard Conservatory Of Music. Just 17 years old He turned 18 on September 26 of that year. Gary couldnโt wait to come to the city to play and learn. โIt was a very good time for the music in New York, at the end of what had been referred to in the press as the be-ยญโbop eraโ, says Bartz. โCharlie Parker had passed away three years previously, but Milesโ group was in its heyday, Monk was down at the Five Spot and Ornette was just coming to town. Things were freshโ. Back then, Gary could regularly be found drinking cokes in the all ages โpeanut galleryโ of Birdland, enjoying a marathon bill of of performers. โIf I didnโt have the money to get in, Iโd help somebody carry a drum or show my horn and act like I was performing and sneak inโ, laughs Bartz. โI learned that early onโ.
In 1964 , alto and soprano saxophonist -ยญโjust 23 yrs. old-ยญโ began performing and touring with the Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln group and quickly established himself as the most promising alto voice since Caannonball Adderley. โIn those days, we used to go by peoplesโ lofts and stay for days on end, just working on musicโ, says Gary . โWe would all chip in and buy food, and someone would cook. But there was always music, because people were dropping by at all hours. We didnโt even think about it, thatโs just what we did. We were very unselfish about what we were learning because, after all, music doesnโt belong to any one person. It belongs to everyone and everythingโ.
With the splash of his New York debut solidly behind him, Bartz soon joined Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers featuring Lee Morgan. Garyโs parents owned a club in Baltimore, Maryland, The North End Lounge. During a weeklong engagement at the club, Garyโs dad heard that the saxophonist John Gilmore was leaving the band. He suggested he should come down from New York and sit in with the band. He was hired on the spot. In 1965 he would make his recording debut on Blakeyโs SOULFINGER album with the two trumpets of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard.
From 1962-ยญโ64, Gary became a part of Charlie Mingusโ Workshop and began practicing regularly with fellow member of the horn section, Eric Dolphy. In 1968, Bartz began an association with McCoy Tyner, which included participating in Tynerโs classic EXPANSIONS and EXTENSIONS albums. Gary continues to perform and record with McCoy to this day.
Bartz received a call from Miles Davis in 1970.This marked Garyโs first experience playing electronic music. Gary traveled the world with Miles including the historic Isle of Wight Festival August 1970. He recorded LIVE/EVIL; THE CELLAR DOOR TAPES;THE ISLE OF WIGHT (also on video) are some of the recordings that he did with Miles.
In addition to working with Miles in the early 70โs, Bartz was busy fronting his own โNTU Troopโ. The group got itโs name from the Bantu language. Ntu means unity in all things, time and space, living and dead seen and unseen.
Outside the Troop, Bartz had been recording as a leader since 1968, and continued to do so throughout the 70โs, during which time he released such acclaimed albums as LIBRA (Milestone-ยญโ1967), ANOTHER EARTH (Milestone-ยญโ1968), HARLEM BUSH MUSIC-ยญโTAIFA, HARLEM BUSH MUSIC-ยญโUHURU (Milestone-ยญโ1971), THE SHADOW DO (Prestige-ยญโ1975), MUSIC IS MY SANCTUARY (Capitol-ยญโ1977) LOVE AFFAIR (Capitol-ยญโ 1978) and BARTZ (Arista-ยญโ1980).
By the mid 70โS he had moved to Los Angeles and was doing a lot of studio work, including recordings with The Black Byrds, Norman Connors, Donald Byrd and Phyllis Hyman. In 1988, after a self enforced break between solo releases, Bartz began recording what music columnist Gene Kalbacher described as โvital ear-ยญโopening sidesโ, on such recordings as MONSOON (Steeplechase-ยญโ1988), WEST 42ND STREET (Candid-ยญโ1990), THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD (Candid-ยญโ 1990), SHADOWS (Timeless-ยญโ1991), and EPISODE ONE: CHILDREN OF HARLEM (Jazz Challenge-ยญโ1994).
Back when Bartz masterminded the much touted IโVE KNOWN RIVERS AND OTHER BODIES (Prestige-ยญโ1973), which was recorded live in Montreux, Switzerland, his concepts would be twenty years ahead of those held by some of todayโs hip hop and contemporary artists. Rivers was based on the poems of Langston Hughes. ANOTHER EARTH which was only his 2nd recording was his first concept recording, it explored his fascination with astronomy and astrology.
Bartz followed those impressive works in 1995 with the release of his debut Atlantic recording THE RED AND ORANGE POEMS (Atlantic-ยญโ1994), a self-ยญโdescribed musical mystery novel and just one of Garyโs brilliantly conceived concept recordings as is THE BLUES CHRONICLES: TALES OF LIFE (Atlantic-ยญโ1996), a testimonial to a steadfast belief in the power of the blues .
In 1997, Bartz started his own recording label, after fighting for years with recording companies. He started OYO recordings, which means Own Your Own, it is also the name of a tribe in Africa. The first release was LIVE @THE JAZZ STANDARD,VOL.1-ยญโSOULSTICE (Oyo Recordings-ยญโ1999). This recording as well as LIVE @THE JAZZ STANDARD, VOL.2-ยญโMAE VELHA (OYO Recordings-ยญโ2005) documents his legendary, non-ยญโstop style, live performances. It features his regular quartet, including Greg Bandy-ยญโDrums; James King-ยญโBass and Barney McAll-ยญโpiano The third release on the OYO label is SOPRANO STORIES (OYO Recordings-ยญโ2005) on which Bartz only plays soprano saxophone. It features John Hicks and George Cables. The next releases will be the long awaited COLTRANE RULES-ยญโTAO OF A MUSIC WARRIOR. A double disc recording featuring the quartet and special guests. Also, a live recording from 1986 featuring Woody Shaw. It was recorded @ The Closet in Baltimore, Maryland.
Gary has been the Professor of saxophone at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio for ten years. He continues to tour with his own group and is working on material for a new group which will include his son Akim โKeemโ Bartz. He also tours with McCoy Tyner and has been performing with The Roots on special occasions.
With over 40 recordings as a leader (as well as over 200 recordings as a guest artist with others), Gary Bartz has taken his rightful place in the pantheon of music greats.
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