Search - Gary Bartz, Nyu Troop :: Juju Street Songs

Altoist Bartz was much mocked for his turn toward R&B after his stint with Miles in the early seventies. But his LPs, before his complete conversion, show vision and sound like nothing else on record, naturally reflecting his interest in free jazz, pop songs, Caribbean music and modal bop. And why not? If Stevie Wonder can listen to Pharaoh Sanders, why shouldn't the compliment be returned? This pairing of two rare LPs on a single CD, beside relieving samplers of much confusion, also gives a platform to the little heard vocalist Andy Bey (not to mention the rarely heard but overexposed vocals of Bartz) "Africans Unite" and "Whasaname" are propulsive stand-out tracks, and sometimes the listener finds oneself in cosmic territory when one least expects it. --D. Strauss