![]() ![]() I said, ‘That’s why I want to do a soprano album!’ This is for the people who come up when I perform and ask why I don’t play more soprano - and also because I like playing it.”Īs the above-cited titles indicate, Bartz conceives albums as “a musician’s version of books,” an extended drama or narrative within music. He says, “I’ve wanted to do a soprano record for many years, but the record companies weren’t interested because they know me as an alto player. ![]() Up to now, he’s showcased it more in live performance than on records, spotting occasional soprano features like “If This Isn’t Love” on Episode One: Children of Harlem (Challenge) or “Miss Otis Regrets” on The Blues Chronicles: Tales of Life (Atlantic). Over the years, Bartz has developed an authoritative voice on the notoriously intractable B-flat horn, projecting an immediately identifiable sound - capacious and centered -through its entire range. When I’m playing the soprano I think of the trumpet - especially Miles- because of the range.” I can play more melodic - more ballady things, prettier songs. ![]() “The soprano isn’t a real power instrument like the alto or tenor. ![]() “I was inspired by the success of ‘My Favorite Things,’ and I liked the sound of it,” he recalls. The main man of younger alto stars like Kenny Garrett and Antonio Hart, Bartz commands the top, the middle and the bottom of the horn, blending the languages of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, inflecting notes with a bluesman’s range of emotion.Ĭoltrane’s the reason why Bartz, like many saxophonists of his generation, picked up the soprano saxophone during the 1960’s. Usually Bartz sings them through the alto saxophone, the instrument on which he’s earned his reputation. Telling a story is the name of the game in jazz, and few improvisers can spin a tale with as much feeling, wit and intelligence as Gary Bartz. ![]()
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