Harlem Bush Music: Uhuru cover

Harlem Bush Music: Uhuru

Released

The sister album to Taifa (which was also cut in November 1970 with a follow-up date two months later), Uhuru finds alto saxophonist Gary Bartz and his band diving deeper into Afrocentric thought. The double drum tandem of Harold White and Nat Bettis grounds the lyrical flights of Bartz and singular jazz vocalist Andy Bey (their voices sometimes overdubbed), the bass duties split between Juni Booth on the sidelong sprawl of “Blue (A Folk Tale”) and Ron Carter on the remaining four tunes. “Blue” lopes and then catches fire, moving through many phases over its side. The second half connects the dots between Stevie Wonder, Malcolm X, and Countee Cullen thanks to Bartz’s tone, which can be sing-songy one moment to harmonize with Bey and then fiery the next. Bey is elegantly defiant on “Uhuru Sasa” and cosmic on “Celestial Blues.” Uhuru sets Bartz at the nexus of spiritual jazz and R&B, a vein he would mine to increasing success in the years ahead.

Andy Beta

Suggestions
Iron City! cover

Iron City!

Grant Green
Loveland cover

Loveland

Lonnie Liston Smith
In the Orbit of Ra cover

In the Orbit of Ra

The Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen
Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti cover

Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti

Robson Jorge, Lincoln Olivetti
Pharoah cover

Pharoah

Pharoah Sanders
Harlem Bush Music: Taifa cover

Harlem Bush Music: Taifa

Gary Bartz NTU Troop
Trident cover

Trident

McCoy Tyner
Mainstream Funk cover

Mainstream Funk

Various Artists
Two Headed Freap cover

Two Headed Freap

Ronnie Foster
Fancy Free cover

Fancy Free

Donald Byrd