NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz – A Living Legend of Jazz Saxophone

Join us for an unforgettable evening with Gary Bartz, one of the most influential voices in modern jazz. With a career spanning more than 60 years, Bartz has shaped the sound of generations through his fearless improvisation, lyrical phrasing, and soulful expression.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gary Bartz began his musical journey alongside giants such as Art Blakey, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, and Miles Davis — each collaboration further refining his distinctive voice on the alto saxophone.

Bartz’s musical legacy shines through a collection of groundbreaking recordings, including Another Earth, Harlem Bush Music, Music Is My Sanctuary, and I’ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies. His ability to fuse hard bop, soul, and spiritual jazz with socially conscious themes has made these works enduring cornerstones of modern jazz.

Over his illustrious career, Bartz has received numerous honors recognizing his profound impact on music. He was named a 2024 Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts — one of the highest honors in American jazz. He received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2015 Living Legacy Award, celebrating his excellence in performance and education across the Mid-Atlantic region. Bartz is also a two-time Grammy Award winner: earning Best Latin Jazz Performance in 1997 for Roy Hargrove’s Habana and Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 2004 for his performance on McCoy Tyner’s Illuminations, alongside Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, and Terence Blanchard.

Beyond his prolific performing and recording career, Bartz is a passionate educator and mentor, serving on the faculty at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. His legacy continues to inspire new generations of musicians to find their truth through sound.

Experience the mastery of a true innovator — Gary Bartz, whose music continues to elevate the spirit and expand the language of jazz.