Arthur Blythe (July 5, 1940 – March 27, 2017^[2]) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. His instrumental voice had a vibrato and was within the post-bop subgenre of jazz.^[1]

Biography[edit]

Born in Los Angeles,^[1] 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.^[3] 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.

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^[3] (75–77). He subsequently played with Gil Evans‘ Orchestra (1976–78), Lester Bowie (1978), Jack DeJohnette (1979) and McCoy Tyner (also 1979).^[4] Blythe’s group – John Hicks, Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall – played Carnegie Hall and the Village Vanguard in 1979.

Blythe began 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 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, after the departure of Julius Hemphill, he joined the World Saxophone Quartet. 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).

Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

Collaborations[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

External links[edit]

• All About Jazz: A Fireside Chat With Arthur Blythe