Gary Bartz

Gary Bartz is a composer, saxophonist, bandleader, and early architect of jazz-funk. After debuting with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln in 1964, he played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Charles Tolliver, and McCoy Tyner. During 1970-1971 he recorded and toured with Miles Davis. Bartz formed NTU Troop in 1970; they released seven influential fusion albums between 1970-1974, including I've Known Rivers. In 1977, he worked with Larry and Fonce Mizell on Music Is My Sanctuary. He returned to hard bop on 1991's There Goes the Neighborhood and 1995's The Red and Orange Poems, and 1996's The Blues Chronicles: Tales of Life. There Goes the Neighborhood appeared in 2006. In 2020 he recorded Night Dreamer Direct-to-Disc Sessions with Maisha and JID006 in 2021. In 2025, Bartz released The Eternal Tenure of Sound: Damage Control. In 2026, Bartz teamed with Your Brother's Keeper (formerly Maisha) on Where Rivers Meet.