Arthur Blythe

Updated on Nov 25, 2023

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Origin Los Angeles Name Arthur Blythe Instruments Alto saxophone Role Composer		Years active 1969–present Genres Jazz Website arthurblythe.com

Born May 7, 1940 (age 83) ( 1940-05-07 ) Occupation(s) Musician bandleader composer Labels Columbia, Enja, Savant Records Albums Lenox Avenue Breakdown, Illusions, Metamorphosis, Blythe Spirit, The Grip
Music group World Saxophone Quartet

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Arthur Murray Blythe (July 5, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a fast, wide vibrato and an aggressive, precise manner of phrasing" and furthermore as straddling the avant garde and traditionalist jazz, often with bands featuring unusual instrumentation.

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Biography

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Born in Los Angeles, Blythe lived in San Diego, returning to Los Angeles when he was 19 years old. He took up the alto saxophone at the age of nine, playing R&B until his mid-teens when he discovered jazz. In the mid-1960s, Blythe was part of The Underground Musicians and Artists Association (UGMAA), founded by Horace Tapscott, on whose 1969 The Giant Is Awakened he made his recording debut.

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After moving to New York in the mid-70s, Blythe worked as a security guard before being offered a place as sideman for Chico Hamilton (1975–77). He subsequently played with Gil Evans' Orchestra (1976–78), Lester Bowie (1978), Jack DeJohnette (1979) and McCoy Tyner (also 1979). Blythe's group – John Hicks, Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall (drummer) – played Carnegie Hall and the Village Vanguard in 1979.

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Blythe began to record as a leader in 1977 for the India Navigation label and then for Columbia records from 1978 to 1987. Bob Stewart's tuba was a regular feature of these albums, often taking the place of the more traditional string bass. Albums such as The Grip and Metamorphosis (both on the label) offered capable, highly refined jazz fare with a free angle which seemed "out there". Blythe played on many pivotal albums of the 1980s, among them Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition on ECM. Blythe was a member of the all-star jazz group The Leaders and joined the World Saxophone Quartetafter the departure of Julius Hemphill . Beginning in 2000 he made recordings on Savant Records which included Exhale (2003) with John Hicks (piano), Bob Stewart (tuba), and Cecil Brooks III (drums).

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Blythe died from complications of Parkinson's disease in Lancaster, California, at the age of 76.

Collaborations

With Synthesis

Six by Six (Chiaroscuro, 1977), with Olu Dara, a.o.

Segments (Ra, 1979), with Olu Dara, David Murray, a.o.

With The Leaders

Mudfoot (Black Hawk, 1986)

Out Here Like This (Black Saint, 1987)

Unforeseen Blessings (Black Saint, 1988)

Slipping and Sliding (Sound Hills, 1994)

Spirits Alike (Double Moon, 2006)

With Roots

Salutes the Saxophone – Tributes to John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young (In & Out, 1992)

Stablemates (In & Out, 1993)

Say Something (In & Out, 1995)

With Santi Debriano and Billy Hart

3-Ology (Konnex, 1993)

With Jeff Palmer, John Abercrombie, Victor Lewis

Ease On (AudioQuest Music, 1993)

With David Eyges and Bruce Ditmas

Synergy (In & Out, 1997)

With John Abercrombie, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anthony Cox, Mark Feldman, Gust Tsilis

Echoes (Alessa, 2005)

As sideman

With Joey Baron

Down Home (Intuition, 1997) with Ron Carter and Bill Frisell

We'll Soon Find Out (Intuition, 1999) with Ron Carter and Bill Frisell

With Lester Bowie

The 5th Power (Black Saint, 1978)

African Children (Horo, 1978)

With Jack DeJohnette

Special Edition (ECM, 1979)

With Gil Evans

Gil Evans Live at the Royal Festival Hall London 1978 (RCA, 1979)

The Rest of Gil Evans Live at the Royal Festival Hall London 1978 (Mole Jazz, 1981)

Parabola (Horo, 1979)

Live at the Public Theater, Vol. 1 & 2 (Trio (Japan)/Storyville (Sweden), 1980)

Priestess (Antilles, 1983)

Sting and Gil Evans – Strange Fruit (ITM, 1993), three tracks with Blythe rec. 1976 without Sting

With John Fischer

6 × 1 = 10 Duos for a New Decade (Circle, 1980)

With Chico Freeman

Luminous (Jazz House, 1989)

Focus (Contemporary, 1995)

With Chico Hamilton

Peregrinations (Blue Note, 1975)

Chico Hamilton and the Players (Blue Note, 1976)

With Craig Harris

Cold Sweat Plays J. B. (JMT, 1999)

With Julius Hemphill

Coon Bid'ness (Freedom, 1972)

With Azar Lawrence

Bridge into the New Age (Prestige, 1974)

With the Music Revelation Ensemble

In the Name of... (DIW, 1994)

Knights of Power (DIW, 1996)

With Woody Shaw

The Iron Men with Anthony Braxton (Muse, 1977 [1980])

With Horace Tapscott

The Giant is Awakened (Flying Dutchman, 1969)

With Gust William Tsilis & Alithea

Pale Fire (Enja, 1988)

With McCoy Tyner

Quartets 4 X 4 (Milestone, 1980)

44th Street Suite (Red Baron,1991)

With the World Saxophone Quartet

Metamorphosis (Elektra Nonesuch, 1990)

Breath of Life (Elektra Nonesuch, 1992)

References

Arthur Blythe Wikipedia

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