Arthur Blythe

Arthur Murray Blythe (July 5, 1940 – March 27, 2017)

Biography

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. Blythe's group – John Hicks, Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall – played Carnegie Hall and the Village Vanguard in 1979.

In 1977, Blythe appeared on the LP Rhythmatism, a recording led by drummer Steve Reid. Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau highlighted Blythe's "forceful" alto-saxophone playing and said, "like so many of the new players Blythe isn't limited to modern methods by his modernism—he favors fluent, straight-ahead Coltrane modalities, but also demonstrates why he belongs on a tune for Cannonball."

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) demonstrated Blythe's maturity as well as his ability to play in both free and traditional contexts with a fully-developed personal style.

Blythe died in March, 2017 of complications from Parkinson's disease in Lancaster, California, at the age of 76.

Discography As leader

Collaborations With Synthesis Six by Six (Chiaroscuro, 1977), with Olu Dara, a.o. Sentiments (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) 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 Barry Altschul Another Time/Another Place (Muse, 1978) 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 ) 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)