Gary Bartz is an underrated jazz great. As a teenager Gary had played sax in his father's nightclub, sitting in with Art Blakey and George Benson. He had started on alto at age 11 and, after studying at Juilliard and the Peabody Conservatory, Bartz worked with the Max Roach-Abbey Lincoln group in 1964. He followed that up by stints with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (1965-66), McCoy Tyner and Blue Mitchell. Bartz made a strong impression with Miles Davis' 1970-71 fusion group, emerging as perhaps the strongest soloist on the recording 'Live / Evil'. The altoist, who had recorded as a leader for Milestone and Prestige fairly regularly since 1967, did some of his finest work at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival (released on Prestige as 'I've Known Rivers and Other Bodies'). By the mid-seventies his recordings became funkier and more commercial. His 1977 album 'Music Is My Sanctuary' is considered one of the finest fusion albums of its generation, with the title track receiving 'rare groove' status. 1978's 'Love Affair' on Capitol (which featured an excellent revised version of John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps') was well received in soul and jazz circles at the time. Nowadays it’s some kind of an overlooked classic jazz album.
Anyway, enjoy this new part of
'The Capitol Vaults' to celebrate their 75th birthday! The festivities started with a performance from Lia Marie Johnson on the roof of the Capitol building (picture below) last week.
Tracklist:
Minnie Riperton – I’m A Woman (1979)
George McCrae – I Get Lifted (1974)
Maze – Workin' Together (1978)
A Taste Of Honey – You (1979)
Lonnie Smith – Funk Reaction (1977)
Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch – Hold Your Horses, Babe (1978)
Joe Thomas – Two Doors Down (1978)
Gary Bartz – Shake Your Body (1978)
Julie Budd – Music To My Heart (1977)
Sun – Be My Lady (1982)
Pure Gold – Don't Fight The Feeling (1981)
Tavares – Positive Forces (1978)
The Reflections – Three Steps From True Love (1975)
Ashford & Simpson – Solid (1984)
Dayton – The Sound of Music [X-Tended Remix] (1984)
Xavier – Love Is On The One (1981)
T-Connection – Saturday Night (1979)
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