Arthur Blythe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arthur Blythe | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | May 7, 1940 |
| Origin |  Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genre(s) | Jazz, Post-bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Bandleader Composer |
| Instrument(s) | alto Saxophone |
| Years active | 1969 – Present |
| Label(s) | Columbia, Enja, Savant |
| Website | Official site |
Arthur Blythe (born May 7, 1940, in Los Angeles, California) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. His stylistic voice has a distinct vibrato and he plays within the post-bop subgenre of jazz.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Blythe lived in San Diego, California, returning to Los Angeles when he was 19 years old. He had took up the alto saxophone at the age of nine playing R&B until his mid-teens when he discovered jazz. He studied with David Jackson and Jimmie Lunceford, and Kirtland (Kirk) Bradford. In the mid-60's he was part of The Underground Musicians and Artists Association (UGMAA), west coast counterpart to Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) founded by Horace Tapscott, on whose 1969 The Giant Is Awakened, Blythe made his recording debut. After moving to New York in the mid-70s, he performed as sideman for Chico Hamilton (75-77), Gil Evans Orchestra (76-78), Lester Bowie (‘78), Jack DeJohnette (‘79) and McCoy Tyner (‘79).[1]
Blythe started to record as a leader in 1977 for the India Navigation label and then for Columbia records from 1978 to 1987. Albums such as The Grip and Metamorphosis (both on India Navigation) offered capable, highly refined jazz fare with a free angle that made Blythe too ‘out there’ for the general public, but endeared him to the more serious jazz fans. Blythe played on many pivotal albums of the 1980s, among them Jack DeJohnette's Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, on ECM. After the departure of Julius Hemphill, he joined the World Saxophone Quartet. Beginning in 2000 he made recordings on the Savant label which included Exhale (2003) with John Hicks (piano), Bob Stewart (tuba), and Cecil Brooks III (drums).
[edit] Selective discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label | Billboard[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Exhale | Jazz | Savant | ||
| 2002 | Focus | Jazz | Savant | ||
| 2001 | Blythe Byte | Jazz | Savant | ||
| 2000 | Spirits in the Field | Jazz | Savant | ||
| 1997 | Night Song | Jazz | Clarity | ||
| 1997 | Today's Blues | Jazz | CIMP | ||
| 1997 | Hipmotism | Jazz | Enja | ||
| 1996 | Synergy | Jazz | In & Out | ||
| 1996 | Calling Card | Jazz | Enja | ||
| 1987 | Basic Blythe | Jazz | Columbia | ||
| 1986 | Da-Da | Jazz | Columbia | ||
| 1984 | Put Sunshine in It | Jazz | Columbia | ||
| 1983 | Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk | Jazz | Columbia | ||
| 1982 | Elaboration | Jazz | Columbia | #33 | |
| 1981 | Blythe Spirit | Jazz | Columbia | #24 | |
| 1980 | Illusions | Jazz | Columbia | #32 | |
| 1978 | Lenox Avenue Breakdown | Jazz | Columbia | #35 | |
| 1978 | In the Tradition | Jazz | Columbia | #22 | |
| 1977 | Bush Baby | Jazz | Adelphi | ||
| 1977 | The Grip -- In Concert (Live) | Jazz | India Navigation | ||
| 1977 | Metamorphosis | Jazz | India Navigation |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Arthur Blythe Biography
- ^ http://wc08.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=ARTHUR|BLYTHE&sql=11:wifexqt5ldhe~T5 Billboard Chart for Arthur Blythe]
Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Guinness, page 476, (1995) - ISBN 1-56159-176-9
