The Red and Orange Poems
| The Red and Orange Poems | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Studio | Power Station | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Atlantic Jazz | |||
| Producer | Gary Bartz, Eulis Cathey | |||
| Gary Bartz chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Red and Orange Poems is an album by the American saxophonist Gary Bartz, released in 1994.[1][2] It was considered a comeback album.[3] Bartz supported the album with a North American tour.[4] The album peaked at No. 25 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart.[5]
Production
[edit]The arrangements were by Bartz, who had originally asked Benny Golson to do them.[6] Mulgrew Miller played piano on the album.[7] Eddie Henderson and John Clark contributed on horns.[8] The liner notes were written by Stanley Crouch.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[11] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [12] |
| MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide |  [13] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the limber and witty alto sax legend Gary Bartz serves up solos that sing and speak."[11] The Atlantic determined that the album finds Bartz's "rich and bluesy alto gaining luster against a two-piece brass section, while the program of standards, original ballads, and a touch of soca is quietly probing."[14]
The Washington Post opined that "Bartz not only brings a fat, creamy tone and an ingenious harmonic grasp to the saxophone but also a maturity that enables him to say something with his technique."[15] The Los Angeles Daily News concluded that "Bartz takes time to breathe, and yet he plays shatteringly well when he wants to be more raucous."[12] Stereo Review deemed The Red and Orange Poems "an album of characteristic diversity that may well be his best to date."[16]
AllMusic stated that "Bartz is in excellent form."[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "By Myself" | |
| 2. | "Nusia's Poem" | |
| 3. | "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life" | |
| 4. | "J Seas" | |
| 5. | "Relentless" | |
| 6. | "Along the Twelve Tone Row" | |
| 7. | "Soulmate" | |
| 8. | "But Not for Me" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Gary Bartz Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Watrous, Peter (21 Jan 1995). "In Performance". The New York Times. p. A18.
- ^ "Profile of Jazz Saxophonist Gary Bartz". NPR. Mar 22, 1995.
- ^ Nelson, Nels (14 Apr 1995). "Gary Bartz". Features Yo!. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 44.
- ^ "Gary Bartz". Billboard.
- ^ Haga, Evan. "Bright Moments with Gary Bartz". JazzTimes.
- ^ Blangger, Tim (5 Feb 1995). "Bartz's appearance, coincidently, comes at a time...". The Morning Call. p. F1.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books Ltd. 2000. p. 102.
- ^ a b "Gary Bartz Red & Orange Poems". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 453.
- ^ a b "The Red and Orange Poems". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b "Jazz". Los Angeles Daily News. 31 Mar 1995. p. L27.
- ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Schirmer Trade Books. 1998. p. 73.
- ^ Blumenthal, Bob (February 1, 1995). "Resurgent Saxes Make the Scene". The Atlantic.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (1 Mar 1995). "Return of the Prodigal Saxophonist". The Washington Post. p. B7.
- ^ Albertson, Chris (Jul 1995). "The Red and Orange Poems by Gary Bartz". Stereo Review. Vol. 60, no. 7. p. 85.