GARY BARTZ - Anthology (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. The band included vocalist/keyboardist Andy Bey, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Harold White, and percussionist Nat Bettis in the mix. Following is "Uhuru Sasa," with a killer call-and-response vocal from Bartz and Bey, and "Drinking Song," which similarly follows suit but with a fiery, deep solo from Bartz. "Dr. Follow's Dance" from Follow the Medicine Man marks the accent on the blistering electric funk groove. Bey left the band and was replaced by Hubert Eaves, II, who added a smoother, more R&B-oriented dimension to the band's sound. "I've Known Rivers" is from the live set of the same name, with Stafford James on bass and Eaves on acoustic and electric piano, and melds soul, R&B, and Native American folk music with Bartz's post-Coltrane modal sensibilities. Bartz's vocal is just beautiful and inspiring here. The transition is complete with "I Wanna Be Where You Are," written by T-Boy Ross and Leon Ware. Spacey for Marvin Gaye, slippery, shimmering, and utterly in the pocket, it winds through the entire history of black music to execute its popping ethereal groove. There are also tracks here from Juju Man and the rare Shadow Do ("Sea Gypsy"/"Gentle Smiles"). The disc's final two offerings come from Bartz's Blue Note album, Music Is My Sanctuary, which was produced by Larry Mizell; these include the title track and "Carnaval de l'Espirit." What is notable about these final two songs is their utter abandonment of the jazz fake-book (even with a very large -- 17 piece -- band) for urban soul. The late vocalist Syreeta Wright is present on these tunes, as are Wah Wah Watson, Mtume, and Eddie Henderson. These last two selections are the bookends that show just how far Bartz had traveled on his journey, always keeping melody, harmony, and innovative rhythmic and modal ideas at the center of his aesthetic. Anthology is highly recommended for a slim but nonetheless dynamite portrait of the artist during one of the most exciting periods of his career.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Celestial Blues 7:35
Andy Bey
Vocals [Featuring] – Andy Bey    
2     Uhuru Sasa 6:47
Gary Bartz    
3     Drinking Song 5:16
Gary Bartz    
4     Dr. Follow's Dance 2:39
Gary Bartz    
5     I've Known Rivers 8:34
Gary Bartz    
Drums – Howard King
Piano – Hubert Eaves
6     I Wanna Be Where You Are 7:14
Leon Ware    
7     Ju Ju Man 9:11
Gary Bartz    
Piano – Charles Mims
8     Sea Gypsy 6:19
Gary Bartz     
9     Gentle Smiles 4:22
Reggie Lucas    
10     Music Is My Sanctuary 6:21
Gary Bartz    
11     Carnaval de l'Espirit 5:55
Gary Bartz    
12     My Funny Valentine 7:11
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Vocals [Featuring] – Syreeta

GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP - Harlem Bush Music- Taifa + Harlem Bush Music- Uhuru (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Harlem Bush Music - Taifa ( 1971 )    
1    Rise 5:25
Written-By – Gary Bartz
2    People Dance 10:33
Written-By – Gary Bartz
3    Du (Rain) 4:17
Written-By – Gary Bartz
4    Drinking Song 5:14
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Maxine Bartz
5    Taifa 4:14
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Maxine Bartz
6    Parted 1:59
Narrator, Overdubbed By [All Vocals], Overdubbed By [Instrumental Parts] – Gary Bartz
Written-By – Paul Laurence Dunbar
7    The Warrior's Song 6:06
Narrator – Gary Bartz
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Harlem Bush Music - Uhuru ( 1971 )    
8    Blue (A Folk Tale) 16:24
Piano, Vocals [First] – Gary Bartz
Written-By – Gary Bartz
9    Uhuru Sasa 6:46
Written-By – Gary Bartz
10    Vietcong 5:13
Written-By – Hakim Jami
11    Celestial Blues 7:32
Written-By – Andy Bey
12    The Planets 5:07
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Credits :
Bass, Electric Bass – Juni Booth (tracks: 1 to 7, 10), Ron Carter (tracks: 8, 9, 11, 12)
Drums – Harold White
Overdubbed By [Vocals], Overdubbed By [Percussion] – Andy Bey
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Producer, Liner Notes – Orrin Keepnews
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Overdubbed By [Vocals], Overdubbed By [Percussion] – Gary Bartz
Vocals – Andy Bey (tracks: 1 to 5, 8 to 12)
Voice – Gary Bartz (tracks: 6 to 8)

GARY BARTZ - Juju Street Songs + Follow, The Medicine Man (1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the late 1970s, Gary Bartz's work became quite commercial. But earlier in the decade -- when the alto and soprano saxophonist led his Ntu Troop -- he was more ambitious. Recorded in 1972, Juju Street Songs is among the risk-taking efforts that came from the Ntu Troop. This ambitious LP finds Bartz drawing on a variety of influences -- everything from John Coltrane's modal post-bop to world music to the electric fusion that Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock were providing at the time. The term world music, of course, can mean a lot of different things; for the Ntu Troop, it means a strong Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on the moody "Teheran" and more of an Afro-Caribbean outlook on the exuberant "Africans Unite." Bassist Stafford James' "Bertha Baptist," meanwhile, is a jazz-funk gem that drummer Harvey Mason interpreted on his Earthmover LP of 1976. Although very jazz-oriented, Juju Street Songs is well aware of what was happening with R&B in the early 1970s. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" was a hit for Michael Jackson back when the Jacksons were still calling themselves the Jackson Five, but Bartz gives the soul-pop tune a serious makeover and demonstrates that it can work well as instrumental jazz. And Stevie Wonder's "Black Maybe," which features Andy Bey on vocals, lends itself equally well to a jazz interpretation. If you want to hear how much Juju Street Songs differs from the commercial stuff that Bartz offered in the late 1970s, just play "I Wanna Be Where You Are" next to his late 1970s version of L.T.D.'s "Love Ballad" -- while Bartz seriously interprets Michael Jackson's hit, his performance of "Love Ballad" is an uninteresting, overproduced, note-for-note cover. Excellent from start to finish, this LP captures Bartz at the height of his creativity. Alex Henderson  
Juju Street Songs (1972)
1    I Wanna Be Where You Are 10'04
Written-By – Arthur Ross, Leon Ware
2    Black Maybe 9'32
Written-By – Stevie Wonder
3    Bertha Baptist 6'32
Written-By – Stafford James
4    African's Unite 6'28
Written-By – Gary Bartz
5    Teheran 8'20
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Follow, The Medicine Man (1973)
6    Sifa Zote 7'50
Written-By – Gary Bartz
7    Whasaname 7'23
Written-By – Howard King
8    Betcha By Golly, Wow 4'47
Written-By – Linda Creed, Thom Bell
9    Dr. Follow's Dance 2'37
Electric Piano – Hubert Eaves
Guitar – Hector Centeno
Written-By – Gary Bartz
10    Standin' On The Corner 2'57
Electric Piano – Hubert Eaves
Guitar – Hector Centeno
Vocals – Gary Bartz
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Howard King, Jack Walker
11    Sing Me A Song Today 7'02
Written-By – Andy Bey
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Electric Piano, Percussion, Voice – Gary Bartz
Bass, Electric Bass, Percussion, Voice – Stafford James
Drums, Percussion, Voice – Howard King
Electric Piano – Andy Bey (pistas: 1 to 8, 11)
Producer, Arranged By – Gary Bartz (pistas: 6 to 11)
Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
Supervised By, Liner Notes [1996] – Orrin Keepnews
Vocals, Percussion – Andy Bey 

GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP - Harlem Bush Music - Taifa (1971-2008) Jazz Next Standard 14 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Rise    5:25
Written-By – Gary Bartz
2    People Dance    10:33
Written-By – Gary Bartz
3    Du (Rain)    4:17
Written-By – Gary Bartz
4    Drinking Song    5:14
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Maxine Bartz
5    Taifa    4:14
Written-By – Gary Bartz, Maxine Bartz
6    Parted    1:59
Written-By – Paul Laurence Dunbar
7    The Warrior's Song    6:06
Written-By – Gary Bartz
Credits :
Bass, Electric Bass – Juni Booth
Drums – Harold White
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Gary Bartz
Vocals – Andy Bey (pistas: 1 to 5)
Voice – Gary Bartz (pistas: 6, 7)

HAROLD NICHOLAS - Harold Nicholas, June Richmond, Andy Bey (2000) Jazz In Paris 20 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    On The Sunny Side Of The Street 4:00
Written-By – Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
2    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours? 2:33
Written-By – Charles Trénet, Léo Chauliac
3    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Saint Louis Blues 3:50
Written-By – William Christopher Handy
4    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    That Old Black Magic 3:20
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
5    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Teach Me Tonight 4:06
Written-By – Gene De Paul, Sammy Cahn
6    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 4:18
Written-By – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
7    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    Over The Rainbow 2:02
Written-By – E. Y. Harburg
8    Harold Nicholas Et Son Orchestre–    I Only Have Eyes For You 3:09
Written-By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
9    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    I've Gotta Right To Sing The Blues 2:12
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
10    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Sleep 2:44
Written-By – Earl Lebieg
11    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Everybody's Doing It 2:19
Written-By – Irving Berlin
12    June Richmond & The Quincy Jones Orchestra–    Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea 2:30
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
13    Andy And The Bey Sisters–    Scoubidou 2:45
Written-By – Lewis Allan, Maurice Tézé, Sacha Distel
14    Andy And The Bey Sisters–    Smooth Sailin' 2:46
Written-By – Arnett Cobb
Credits :
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Jo Hrasko (faixas: 9 to 12)
Double Bass – Guy Pedersen (faixas: 9 to 12), Paul Rovere (faixas: 13, 14)
Drums – Kenny Clarke (faixas: 9 to 14)
Piano – Henri Renaud (faixas: 9 to 12)
Producer, Conductor, Arranged By – Quincy Jones (faixas: 9 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Barney Wilen (faixas: 13, 14)
Trombone – Billy Byers (faixas: 9 to 12)
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (faixas: 13, 14), Roger Guérin (faixas: 9 to 12)
Vocals – Geraldine Bey (faixas: 13, 14), Harold Nicholas (faixas: 1 to 8), June Richmond (faixas: 9 to 12), Salomé Bey (faixas: 13, 14)
Vocals, Piano, Arranged By – Andy Bey (faixas: 13, 14)
Nota :
Recorded in Paris in 1959 (1-8) and April 1959 (13-14) and at the Hoche Studio, Paris on September 16, 1957 (9-12)
Reissue of the Fontana 10" LP 882 101 (1-8) and of the Barclay EP 70 105 (9-12)
Partial reissue of the Fontana EP 464 451 (13-14) (the titles "Bye bye blackbird" and "Fascinatin' rhythm", which were present on the original release, came from a session recorded in London, which explains their non-appearance here).

STANLEY CLARKE - Children Of Forever (1973-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stanley Clarke's debut solo effort was issued when he was already a seasoned jazz veteran, and a member of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, which at the time of this recording also included Joe Farrell on soprano sax and flute, and the Brazilian team of vocalist Flora Purim and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira. Produced by Corea, who plays Rhodes, clavinet, and acoustic piano on Children of Forever, the band included flutist Art Webb, then-new RtF drummer Lenny White, guitarist Pat Martino, and a vocal pairing between the inimitable Andy Bey and Dee Dee Bridgewater on three of the five cuts -- Bey appears on four. Clarke plays both electric and acoustic bass on the set; and while it would be easy to simply look at this recording as an early fusion date, that would be a tragic mistake. If anything, Children of Forever is a true cousin to Norman Connors' classic Dance of Magic and Dark of Light albums, which were also released in 1973; Clarke played bass on both. This is basically funky, spiritual jazz in the best sense. Yes, jazz. That wonderfully mercurial, indefinable force that brings into itself the whole of music, from popular to classical and folk forms, and makes something new out of them. The long title track with its killer vocal interplay between Bridgewater and Bey is seductive from the jump. Add Clarke's big fat bassline, which is mellow and meaty at the beginning, but after the long piano and guitar breaks in the middle becomes dirty, fuzzy, and spacy by the end as the cut leans into souled-out funk.
The "message" tunes that make up this music balance the dawning of the future as the logical place of Black consciousness -- where a new day was indeed emerging from the struggles of the '50s and '60s. Add to this the cosmic looking cover, and its weighed electric and acoustic underpinnings, and you have the makings of a timeless classic. Indeed, no matter how one feels about Clarke's later work, which aimed for the harder and funkier realms of disco and urban soul as well as keeping his jazz chops intact, this disc in every sense is forward-looking and memorable. Bridgewater's lead vocal interaction with Webb's flute on "Unexpected Days," with Bey helping on the bridge and refrain, is awe-inspiring. The ensemble is focused on "song." Corea's has rarely sounded so naturally funky as he does here and his production is free of the hard, sometimes brittle sound he would employ with the Al DiMeola-Lenny White version of RtF. The centerpiece of the disc is a vehicle for Clarke, called "Bass Folk Song." At nearly eight minutes, Clarke plays both upright and electric bass, sometimes employing a wah wah pedal on the former. It shows his virtuosity; he could literally make either instrument sing. Corea is fantastic in his supporting role, playing fills and vamps behind the bassist and Martino -- who also has never sounded so nasty as he does here on electric guitar and 12-string acoustic -- they're full of innovative rhythms and eclectic harmonics. And White is simply a powerhouse, breaking beats and taking Clarke for a real ride in almost unconscious rhythmic interplay.
The last half of the set is equally wonderful with the ballad "Butterfly Dreams" that launches into something wholly other by its midpoint, and never loses sight of its melody, lush harmonics, and very real sense of abstract swing. Clarke propels the ensemble from the bass chair, and allows everyone the room to blend into that big wood sound he gets on his upright. Bey's vocal performance on the cut is one of his best on record. The set closes with Corea's "Sea Journey," the longest track here, coming in at over 16 minutes. There is quite a bit of improvisation here as one might expect, with Corea playing intense Latin contrapuntal melodies on his Rhodes and clavinet -- even moving into descarga at one point -- and Bridgewater and Bey stretching their vocals to drape the music; their pairing is utterly elegant, soulful, and lovely. Clarke and White are a force maejure as a rhythm section, they push and entwine with one another in a dance of double, triple, and half-time beats and pulses, bringing a sense of not only movement but travel to the proceedings without ever leaving the groove. The beautiful front line of Corea and Webb in the head and during the middle section is subtle and haunting; it literally drifts, anchored only by the rhythm section that keeps them from lifting off into more modal explorations. Martino is free to fill, solo, vamp, and project. Clarke's bowed bass fiddle solo, which interplays with Bey's vocal, is brave and deeply moving; there isn't a trace of gimmickry in it (or anywhere else on this set, for that matter). Like the aforementioned Connors' recordings, Children of Forever has aged exceedingly well, and sounds as warm, inviting, and full of possibility in the early 21st century as it did in the early '70s. It's full of heart, soul, passion, and truly inspired musicianship. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 Children Of Forever 10:41
2 Unexpected Days 5:51
3 Bass Folk Song 7:58
4 Butterfly Dreams 6:51
5 Sea Journey 16:28
Credits:
Double Bass [Bass Fiddle], Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar – Pat Martino
Electric Piano, Clavinet [Clavinette], Piano [Acoustic], Producer – Chick Corea
Flute – Arthur Webb
Vocals – Andy Bey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5), Dee Dee Bridgewater (tracks: 1, 2, 5)