The Shadow Do (Remastered) Gary Bartz

• 1Winding Roads03:18
• 2Mother Nature06:27
• 3Love Tones05:11
• 4Gentle Smiles04:21
• 5Make Me Feel Better04:41
• 6Sea Gypsy06:18
• 7For My Baby04:57
• 8Incident02:56
• Total Runtime38:09

Info for The Shadow Do (Remastered)

This classic gem from saxophonist and vocalist Gary Bartz delivers a euphoric and supremely funky sonic voyage. Produced by the pioneering sibling duo of Larry and Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell—whose frequently-sampled work shaped the sound of ’70s jazz and R&B—The Shadow Do! finds Bartz at his finest, as he delivers a joyful collection of songs, including the expansive opening track, “Winding Roads,” the electrifying “Mother Nature,” the blissful “Love Tones” and the supremely smooth “Gentle Smiles (Saxy),” which ’90s hip-hop fans may recognize from A Tribe Called Quest’s “Butter.” In addition to many outstanding sax performances by Bartz (plus synths and multi-layered backing vocals by the Mizel brothers), the album features an all-star cast of musicians, including keyboardist Hubert Eaves, drummer Howard King, Reggie Lucas (guitar), Mtume (percussion) and former Miles Davis sidemen Michael Henderson (bass).

"Not as known as the later Music Is My Sanctuary -- which was an even further departure, in its increased smoothness, from his Ntu Troop dates, and more popular by virtue of being released on Blue Note -- The Shadow Do! was the first time Gary Bartz sought production assistance from Fonce and Larry Mizell, the sibling duo who enlivened many sessions throughout the '70s with their soaring fusion of soul, funk, and (as Bartz would say) "the j-word." At this point, some j-word purists were hip to the Mizell program, what with dates from Bobbi Humphrey, Donald Byrd, and Johnny Hammond already in circulation. Checking the back of this Prestige release supplied all the info they needed to know: production by the Mizells, and four people credited with playing some form of synthesizer. Keyboardist Hubert Eaves, bassist Michael Henderson, guitarist Reggie Lucas, percussionist Mtume, and drummer Howard King help lend a sound that is a little funkier and heavier than most Mizell-guided sessions, but it's no less sweet. The second through fourth songs of side one exude joy and love, anchoring the album in a sense of contentedness so infectious that it might have even won over a few cold souls expecting straight jazz. Bartz's saxophones are at their melodic best, dancing, skipping, and trilling through the arrangements. He also sings lead, present on most of the songs, and though he probably didn't win any publication's best vocalist award, no one sounds like him, and the Mizells' own background harmonies are on-point as ever." (Andy Kellman, AMG)

Gary Bartz, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Willie Williams, tenor saxophone
Benny Green, piano
Christian McBride, bass
Victor Lewis, drums

Digitally remastered

Gary Bartz
A native of Baltimore, Gary Bartz ventured to New York City to attend the Juilliard School in 1958. At the time, performers such as Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Miles Davis were playing at Birdland and the city’s other premiere clubs every night, and Bartz regularly snuck in to see them.

In the 1960s, Bartz joined the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln Group and the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop, quickly earning a reputation as the greatest alto saxophonist since Cannonball Adderley. In 1965, after meeting the group at his parents’ nightclub, Bartz joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and recorded Soulfinger, his recording debut. Around the same time, he began working with McCoy Tyner, and their relationship deepened the influence of John Coltrane on Bartz.

In 1970, Bartz received a call from Miles Davis, who asked Bartz to perform with his band at the historic Isle of Wight Festival. In the same year, Bartz also formed his own group, Ntu Troop, after the Bantu word for “unity.” Ntu blended soul, funk, African folk music, hard bop, and avant-garde jazz on such albums as I’ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies, based on the poetry of Langston Hughes, as well as Music is My Sanctuary, Love Affair, Another Earth, and Home.

Overall, Bartz has recorded more than 40 solo albums and over 200 as a guest artist. More recently, he released Coltrane Rules: Tao of a Music Warrior, Live at the Jazz Standard Volume 1 and Volume 2, and several others, on his own label, OYO, which is named for the Nigerian tribe and the acronym “Own Your Own.” He was also spotlighted in the “Blindfold Test” section of DownBeat magazine in January 2008, and he continues to perform with McCoy Tyner in such cities as Tokyo and Los Angeles.

This album contains no booklet.