Note: the CD I listened to was the 2003 release in Blue Note's Rare Groove Series.
"Music is my sanctuary when life puts that ju ju on me."
Those lyrics from the title track may seem silly but man-oh-man did I ever need the sweet, soothing balm of this album because life has been putting that ju ju on me - and the rest of the world - of late. Probably not jazzy enough (whatever that means) for "serious" musicians, this blend of soul, funk, R&B, disco, and jazz is a helluva fun ride.
Bartz's playing is superb on both alto and soprano and he's joined by familiar names such as Syreeta Wright, Mtume, Eddie Henderson, etc. Produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell and if you recognize those names and their work in the '70s, you are welcome here any time. Because of the brothers' involvement, it's easy to make comparisons between this album and Donald Byrd's mid-'70s work.
My copy of Rolling Stone's Jazz & Blues Album guide dismisses this phase of Bartz's career entirely with one sentence: "at one point in the '1970s Bartz was making disco records...and doing very little playing of merit." I think they missed the boat, but there's still time for you to jump on board.
A graduate of Julliard, Bartz played with Miles Davis, Max Roach, Art Blakey, and McCoy Tyner. He is currently Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: Did not chart
- Billboard Jazz LPs: #26
- CashBox Jazz Albums: #21
- Record World Jazz LPs: #13
Tracks: 6 tracks, 36 minutes. All worth your time. A couple of tunes here you might have heard before: Love Ballad (a hit for LTD in '76 and George Benson in '79) and Smokey Robinson's Oo Baby Baby (a hit for The Miracles in '65 and Linda Ronstadt in '79). If I had to pick a favorite of the six tracks, I don't think I could. My favorite is whatever I'm currently listening to. As I type these words, I'm enjoying the smooth, soulful, funky closing track, Macaroni.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I originally heard the title track on the compilation Capitol Rare: Funky Notes From The West Coast and finally got around to buying this disc.
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