News Gary Bartz Bridges Generations By Dave Cantor I Feb. 19, 2021 Baltimore native Gary Bartz has remained uniquely engaged both musically and politically throughout his lengthy career. (Photo: The Artform Studio) Gary Bartz has watched the slow roll of history drag on, first from the vantage point of his childhood home in Baltimore, then in New York and the rest of the world while on tour. The experiences have given the saxophonist perspective and a unique voice, one that’s resonated with generations of musicians and listeners. “They’re our kids—the hip-hop generation. Jay-Z, his mom and dad used to come to The East to see me and to see Pharoah [Sanders]. All these kids had those records in their homes. ... It’s an extension of what we’re doing—I saw that immediately,” Bartz, 80, said during a late-December Zoom call from his current, well-lighted home in Oakland, California.