Gary Bartz - Coltrane Rules: Tao of a Music Warrior (2011)

Gary Bartz is one of jazz' foremost alto saxophone & soprano saxophone virtuosos and this is one of his most exciting groups: a quartet rounded out by the fabulous piano stylings of Barney McCall, and anchored by the solid rhythm duo of the first-rate James King on bass and Greg Bandy's propulsive drumming polyrhythms. Special guests are vocalist Andy Bey and Rene McLean on flute performing on an emotional "Dear Lord" and a vocal quartet that does "The Song of Loving/Kindness" both touching on the spiritual side of John Coltrane's musical personality. The recording is framed at the beginning and end with a short, elegant, and effective slice of Coltrane's lovely composition "After the Rain" with Bartz' solo overdubbed beautifully on alto, soprano sax, and bass clarinet. The 'modal' take on a 14 minute "I Concentrate on You" results in a sensational performance by all hands, with great solos by Bartz first on alto & then soprano saxes and by McCall with excellent drum/bass work underneath. Among the other excellent performances are a joyful "Nita" that swings mightily. Bartz uses two highly effective conjunctions: the exotic convergence of "Dahomey Dance" and "Tunji" gets a great ride with Bartz digging deep into his chosen modal arc; and the combined beauty of the ballad 'Vilia" and the hard-swinging modal "Ole". "BirdTrane" has a scorching Bartz alto solo based on the bop-ish theme. This is no Coltrane imitation recording though Bartz unabashedly reveals his Trane roots, but with his own well-known 'take-no-prisoners' captivating solo style and ideas. This is as much a tribute to McCoy Tyner, Jmmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones who all helped shape Trane's initial groundbreaking soundscapes, as it is to Coltrane (listen again to the excellent "I Concentrate on You" teamwork herein). John Coltrane, 45 years after his passing, continues to exert a major impact on the trajectory of jazz music. This generous hour-plus set proves once again that the masterful Gary Bartz, 5 decades into his own career, is as amazing and vital a musician, leader, soloist, and conceptualist as ever and it gets My Highest Recommendation. "Who's that Swing?", indeed! 5 EXCELLENT Stars.