JAZZ ARTIST BIRTHDAY:

Gary Bartz (1940) – Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gary Bartz is an alto and soprano saxophonist and clarinetist.  Bartz's break into the music industry came when filling in with Art Blakey's band at Bartz' father's club in Baltimore.  He graduated from the Baltimore City College high school and The Juilliard School. He has worked with Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and Jackie McLean. His group, The Ntu Troop, combined soul, funk, the music of Africa, hard bop, and avant-garde jazz.  In the liner notes to his 1994 album The Red and Orange Poems, jazz critic Stanley Crouch calls Bartz "one of the very best who has ever picked up the instrument."  In 2005 he won a Grammy Award for playing on McCoy Tyner's album Illuminations. When not touring, Bartz teaches at the Oberlin Conservatory.

JAZZ ALBUM RECORDED:

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (1962)
Track Listing:
1. In A Sentimental Mood
2. Take The Coltrane
3. Big Nick
4. Stevie
5. My Little Brown Book
6. Angelica
7. The Feeling Of Jazz

Review by Scott Yanow at Allmusic:
For this classic encounter, Duke Ellington "sat in" with the John Coltrane Quartet for a set dominated by Ellington's songs; some performances have his usual sidemen (bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Sam Woodyard) replacing Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones in the group. Although it would have been preferable to hear Coltrane play in the Duke Ellington orchestra instead of the other way around, the results are quite rewarding. Their version of "In a Sentimental Mood" is a high point, and such numbers as "Take the Coltrane," "Big Nick," and "My Little Brown Book" are quite memorable. Ellington always recognized talent, and Coltrane seemed quite happy to be recording with a fellow genius.




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    is a historical timeline for birthdays of blues and jazz artists and jazz album recording dates.  As our research progresses, we'll add more categories.  Look for updates each week, normally Mondays through Fridays, when we find something to share.

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