Gary Bartz, in the early 1960s, performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop. He worked as a sideman with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln before joining Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. In 1968, he was a member of McCoy Tyner's band, Expansions.
In mid-1970, he joined Miles Davis' band, performing live at the Isle Of Wight festival in August; and at a series of December dates at The Cellar Door club in Washington, D.C. Portions of these shows were initially released on the 1971 Live-Evil album, with the entire six performance/four night run eventually released in full on the 2005 Cellar Door Sessions box set. He later formed the band Ntu Troop, which combined jazz, funk, and soul.
Bartz was awarded a Grammy for "Best Latin Jazz Performance" for his work on Roy Hargrove's "Habana" at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, and for "Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group" for For McCoy Tyner's Illuminations at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.
Bartz was awarded the BNY Mellon Jazz 2015 Living Legacy Award, which was presented at a special ceremony at The Kennedy Center.
In 2019, Revive Music and Bartz celebrated the 50th Anniversary of his Another Earth album at Winter Jazzfest in New York City, alongside original member Pharoah Sanders. Later that year, in collaboration with Moon31.
He is Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Oberlin College. [Wiki]
1967-68. Libra, & Another Earth (1998) [FLAC]
1970. Home! (320)
1970-71. Harlem Bush Music- Taifa & Uhuru [FLAC]
1972. Juju Street Songs (1997) [FLAC]
1973. Altissimo (Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean, Charlie Mariano) (1996) (320)
1973. I've Known Rivers and Other Bodies (2003) [FLAC]
1974. A Ghetto Fairy Tale (2010) [FLAC]
1975. The Shadow Do (1993) [24-192]
1977. Love Song (2001) [FLAC]
1977. Music Is My Sanctuary (2003) [FLAC]
1978. Love Affair (2011) (320)
1980. Bartz [FLAC]
1988. Monsoon [24-48]
1989. Reflections of Monk- The Final Frontier [FLAC]