To celebrate the 85th birthday of Gary Bartz, we're sharing this freewheeling wide-ranging, previously unpublished interview for the first time. Hear the legend recount his career in his own words: from early sessions with Art Blakey to his charged Ntu Troupe records, working with McCoy Tyner and Donald Byrd, and of course, his years on the road with Miles Davis, immortalised on the sprawling masterpiece Live-Evil. We also chat about his recent collaborations with Maisha and Jazz is Dead.

Most fascinating however are Bartz's insights into the American art form he's devoted his life to, and why he finds use of the word "improvisation" deeply offensive.