ARTHUR BLYTHE - Elaborations/Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk/Put Sunshine In It
BGO CD 1304 (3 albums on 2CDs)
Arthur Blythe (alto saxophone); and others
Arthur Blythe who died recently was the epitome of talent deserving of further recognition. He was an individual voice with a sound as idiosyncratic and as individualistic as Bechet. The opposite of polite or refined, the sound of his alto was individual, searing, soul tearing; a kind of Dave Sanborn with guts; an Earl Bostic with musicality. Jazz should be about the sound as much as the notes. No one, but no one, sounded like Arthur Blythe.
Let’s start with ‘Light Blue’. This is Blythe’s view of six Monk compositions. Like he often did, Blythe used Bob Stewart on tuba instead of a conventional bass. This gives the whole thing a sound going back to the marching bands. Blythe himself is full of his own ideas. He is not over-awed by Monk. He brings his own ideas as does Abdul Wadud on cello. Monk would have loved the idea of cello and tuba. Bob Stewart is one of the greats on tuba, listen to his punctuations on ‘Epistrophy’. This is Monk played as if for the first time. Blythe strips the varnish from these now hallowed pieces and lets us hear them afresh. Monk and Blythe, two of the most distinctive voices in jazz, together, what could be better?
‘Elaborations’ is pure Blythe. Dynamic, vital jazz played with conviction and led by Abdu Wadud on cello. Bobby Battle is on drums and Kelvyn Bell on guitar. Bob Stewart provides the depth of sound on the tuba. The middle eastern rhythms of ‘The Lower Nile’ feel very natural and the way that Battle and Wadud play off each other is very exciting. ‘One Mint Julep’ is punched out and everyone is full of zest and energy on the well-known tune. Listening to this, you can almost see why someone at Columbia could imagine that this powerful sound could appeal to a wider audience.
Electronic jazz funk pervades ‘Put Sunshine In It’. Columbia’s attempt to parcel and sell Arthur Blythe to a wider world was not very successful. Playing along to a programmed backing track was not something that Blythe enjoyed; there was no interactivity. Probably the most satisfying track is the last one ‘Sentimental Walk. It is taken at a reflective pace that suits Blythe. Blythe’s audience d was not comfortable with his album. To a certain extent Blythe damaged his credibility. The dilemma of the artist who has to survive. It is easy to be critical of those artists who bend to commercialism and that problem is at the back of this whole enterprise.
BGO is so impressive. BGO themselves are talent deserving of further recognition. They are archaeologists digging out music that is in danger of being lost, of languishing in vaults: Ian Carr. Kenny Wheeler, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Gary Burton, Don Ellis, Don Rendell, Freddie Hubbard, Mike Westbrook, Jean-Luc Ponty, Joe Pass and Back Door. What an eclectic mix of treasures in their catalogue!
BGO’s liner notes are exemplary, 26 pages of essential information much of it telling the unhappy story of Blythe’s signing to Columbia. An avant-garde saxophonist signed to a major label was almost unknown.
If you have ever been moved by one of the most individual voices in jazz buy these CDs and feast on the music. This is a great package and the clever remastering brings out wonderful, irreplaceable sound of Arthur Blythe singing out once more.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
BGO CD 1304 (3 albums on 2CDs)
Arthur Blythe (alto saxophone); and others
Arthur Blythe who died recently was the epitome of talent deserving of further recognition. He was an individual voice with a sound as idiosyncratic and as individualistic as Bechet. The opposite of polite or refined, the sound of his alto was individual, searing, soul tearing; a kind of Dave Sanborn with guts; an Earl Bostic with musicality. Jazz should be about the sound as much as the notes. No one, but no one, sounded like Arthur Blythe.
Let’s start with ‘Light Blue’. This is Blythe’s view of six Monk compositions. Like he often did, Blythe used Bob Stewart on tuba instead of a conventional bass. This gives the whole thing a sound going back to the marching bands. Blythe himself is full of his own ideas. He is not over-awed by Monk. He brings his own ideas as does Abdul Wadud on cello. Monk would have loved the idea of cello and tuba. Bob Stewart is one of the greats on tuba, listen to his punctuations on ‘Epistrophy’. This is Monk played as if for the first time. Blythe strips the varnish from these now hallowed pieces and lets us hear them afresh. Monk and Blythe, two of the most distinctive voices in jazz, together, what could be better?
‘Elaborations’ is pure Blythe. Dynamic, vital jazz played with conviction and led by Abdu Wadud on cello. Bobby Battle is on drums and Kelvyn Bell on guitar. Bob Stewart provides the depth of sound on the tuba. The middle eastern rhythms of ‘The Lower Nile’ feel very natural and the way that Battle and Wadud play off each other is very exciting. ‘One Mint Julep’ is punched out and everyone is full of zest and energy on the well-known tune. Listening to this, you can almost see why someone at Columbia could imagine that this powerful sound could appeal to a wider audience.
Electronic jazz funk pervades ‘Put Sunshine In It’. Columbia’s attempt to parcel and sell Arthur Blythe to a wider world was not very successful. Playing along to a programmed backing track was not something that Blythe enjoyed; there was no interactivity. Probably the most satisfying track is the last one ‘Sentimental Walk. It is taken at a reflective pace that suits Blythe. Blythe’s audience d was not comfortable with his album. To a certain extent Blythe damaged his credibility. The dilemma of the artist who has to survive. It is easy to be critical of those artists who bend to commercialism and that problem is at the back of this whole enterprise.
BGO is so impressive. BGO themselves are talent deserving of further recognition. They are archaeologists digging out music that is in danger of being lost, of languishing in vaults: Ian Carr. Kenny Wheeler, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Gary Burton, Don Ellis, Don Rendell, Freddie Hubbard, Mike Westbrook, Jean-Luc Ponty, Joe Pass and Back Door. What an eclectic mix of treasures in their catalogue!
BGO’s liner notes are exemplary, 26 pages of essential information much of it telling the unhappy story of Blythe’s signing to Columbia. An avant-garde saxophonist signed to a major label was almost unknown.
If you have ever been moved by one of the most individual voices in jazz buy these CDs and feast on the music. This is a great package and the clever remastering brings out wonderful, irreplaceable sound of Arthur Blythe singing out once more.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
