Not as known as the laterMusic Is My Sanctuary-- which was an even further departure, in its increased smoothness, from hisNtu Troopdates, and more popular by virtue of being released onBlueNote --The Shadow Do!was the first time Gary Bartz sought assistance fromFonceandLarry Mizell, the sibling duo who enlivened many sessions throughout the '70s with their soaring fusion ofsoul, funk, and (as Bartz would say) "the j-word." At this point, some j-word purists were hip totheMizellprogram, what with dates fromBobbi Humphrey,Donald Byrd,andJohnnyHammondalreadydrummerHoward Kinghelp lend a sound that is alittlefunkier andheavier than mostMizell-guided sessions, but it's no less sweet. The second through fourth songsof side one exude joy and love, anchoring the album in a sense ofcontentedness so infectious that it might've even won over a few cold souls expecting straight jazz. Bartz'ssaxophones are at their melodic best, dancing, skipping, and trilling through the arrangements. He also sings lead, present on most of the songs, and though he probably didn't win any publication's best vocalist award, no one sounds like him, and the Mizells' own background harmonies are on-point as ever. (Reissued on CD at least twice in Japan, in 1993 and 2007.)