Gary Bartz had been everywhere by 1976: Miles Davis' band, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the funk-fired NTU Troop. Recorded for the west coast Catalyst label, ‘Ju Ju Man’ pairs his alto, soprano, and clarinet with a well-drilled rhythm section across Coltrane tributes, a swinging Ellington ballad, and a velvet "My Funny Valentine" with Motown’s Syreeta on vocals. One of his finest sessions as a leader - and a collector's obscurity for decades. One of the great understated spiritual jazz records of its era.
