Description
Gary Bartz – Another Earth – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Vinyl Me, Please
(AAA) Lacquers cut from the master tapes by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound
Pressed on 180G black vinyl
Listening notes booklet by Jeff Weiss
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Gary Bartz’s Another Earth (1969) is a seminal album in the saxophonist’s career, and a powerful statement in the realm of avant-garde jazz. Released during a period of musical and social upheaval, this album reflects Bartz’s foray into experimental jazz and features an impressive lineup of jazz heavyweights, including Pharoah Sanders, Charles Tolliver, Stanley Cowell, Reggie Workman, and Freddie Waits.
Gary Bartz, an alto saxophonist, emerged from the 1960s jazz scene, playing with legends like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus before establishing himself as a leader. By the time of Another Earth’s release, Bartz was heavily influenced by the free jazz and spiritual jazz movements, which were pushing the boundaries of jazz into more experimental, abstract, and politically charged territories.
Released in 1969, Another Earth came during a time when jazz was being reshaped by pioneers like John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, and Bartz was absorbing these influences while also injecting his unique style into his compositions.
The album embodies free jazz, modal jazz, and spiritual jazz elements, with improvisation playing a key role. There is a strong sense of collective improvisation, where the musicians react and build off each other, creating a dynamic, often chaotic, but always purposeful sound. At the core of the album is the 27-minute epic title track, ‘Another Earth,’ which serves as a musical journey through various moods and textures, representing Bartz’s vision of exploring new sonic territories, or ‘another earth.’
Key Tracks
“Another Earth”: The centerpiece of the album, this sprawling 27-minute track is an adventurous exploration of sound and emotion. Bartz’s alto saxophone leads the charge, but the interplay between Pharoah Sanders (on tenor sax), Charles Tolliver (on trumpet), and the rhythm section (featuring Reggie Workman on bass and Freddie Waits on drums) gives the piece its vibrant energy.
The track is characterized by long, free-form improvisations, with moments of intense, dissonant interplay followed by more meditative, spiritual passages. Sanders, known for his work with Coltrane, brings his signature wailing saxophone sound, adding to the track’s cosmic, otherworldly vibe.
“UFO”: This track is shorter but no less experimental, with its dense, layered textures and exploratory use of rhythm and harmony. Bartz’s saxophone takes center stage, offering both frenetic runs and moments of soulful introspection.
“Perihelion”: A more focused, yet still improvisational piece, ‘Perihelion’ showcases Bartz’s ability to navigate complex harmonic structures while maintaining emotional intensity. The track’s melodic content is more accessible than ‘Another Earth,’ but it retains the album’s overall exploratory spirit.
“Spiritual Ideation”: True to its name, this piece channels the spiritual jazz tradition, with a slower, more contemplative pace. It serves as a contrast to the other more frenetic tracks on the album, offering moments of reflection and space.
Notable Collaborators
Pharoah Sanders: A disciple of John Coltrane, Sanders’ inclusion on the album adds a layer of deep spirituality and avant-garde intensity. His tenor sax playing on “Another Earth” pushes the boundaries of free jazz, with his signature overblowing and multiphonics creating an otherworldly sound.
Charles Tolliver: A trumpet player known for his work in the free jazz and hard bop scenes, Tolliver brings a brassy, sharp edge to the album, especially in the title track where his trumpet solos soar above the dense soundscape.
Stanley Cowell: A renowned pianist, Cowell provides both rhythmic and harmonic support on the album. His piano work is an essential element, offering moments of both structured and freeform accompaniment, adding to the overall dynamism of the performances.
Reggie Workman and Freddie Waits: Workman, on bass, and Waits, on drums, form the backbone of the album, offering a solid yet flexible rhythm section that shifts between free, abstract playing and more grounded, groove-oriented sections.
While Another Earth is an instrumental album, it is deeply infused with the spiritual and social consciousness that was characteristic of the free jazz movement during the late 1960s. The title itself hints at an exploration of new worlds, both musically and philosophically, echoing the desire to break free from traditional constraints and explore new possibilities. The improvisational style and the interplay between the musicians reflect a search for something beyond the ordinary—a hallmark of the spiritual jazz genre that artists like Sanders, Coltrane, and Sun Ra were also exploring at the time. There’s a sense of reaching for the divine, the unknown, and the transcendent throughout the album.
The production on Another Earth captures the raw, unfiltered energy of the performances. The album is recorded with a sense of immediacy, emphasizing the live, in-the-moment feeling that is central to free jazz. The instruments are balanced in a way that allows each player’s contributions to be clearly heard, despite the complexity and density of the arrangements. The sound is both expansive and intimate, drawing the listener into the intricate dialogue between the musicians while also giving a sense of the larger, cosmic themes the music is reaching for.
Another Earth was well-received by jazz aficionados, particularly those interested in the more experimental side of the genre.
Track Listing
Another Earth
Dark Nebula
U.F.O.
Lost In The Stars
Perihelion And Aphelion
