Personnel: Gary Bartz (vocals, soprano saxophone, acoustic & electric piano); Syreeta Wright (vocals); Eddie Henderson, Ray Brown (trumpet); George Cables (piano); David T. Walker, Juewett Bostick, Wa Wa Watson, John Rowin (guitar); Larry Mizell (keyboards, background vocals); Curtis Robinson Jr., Welton Gite (bass); Mtume, Bill Summers (percussion).
Recorded at Sound Factory West, Hollywood, California.
Personnel: Gary Bartz (vocals, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, piano, electric piano, synthesizer, background vocals); Gary BRTZ (vocals, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, piano, synthesizer); Larry Mizell (vocals, keyboards, background vocals); Sigidi, Syreeta Wright (vocals, background vocals); David T. Walker, Juewett Bostick, John Rowin, Wah-Wah Watson (guitar); Eddie Henderson, Ray Brown (trumpet); George Cables (piano); Howard King, James Gadson, Nate Neblett (drums); James Mtume, Bill Summers (percussion).
Recording information: Sound Factory West, Hollywood, CA.
Illustrator: Michael Bryan.
Arrangers: Gary Bartz; Larry Mizell.
Surrounding himself with a world-class ensemble of disco-jazz-fusion musicians and armed with the Mizell brothers at the production console (who were near the peak of their careers around this time), Gary Bartz took the route of Donald Byrd and brought new elements of funk, soul, and a foreshadowing of the soon-to-be-commercial disco craze all into a 40-minute workout on Music Is My Sanctuary. While purists shook their heads in disapproval and disdain at Bartz's new direction (one emulated by several jazz pioneers at the time), those who could take off their traditional jazz mufflers would find Bartz and the Mizells making some highly infectious, soulful music. Further accentuated by the addition of Syreeta Wright on vocals, the Mizells took Bartz into nearly uncharted territories for jazz musicians. The results of this experimentation more than paid off, with the dividends being Bartz's most polished, focused releases. ~ Rob Theakston
