Arthur Blythe
Arthur Blythe | |
|---|---|
Blythe at the North Sea Jazz Festival with The Leaders, 1989 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Black Arthur |
| Born | Arthur Murray Blythe July 5, 1940 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 2017 (aged 76) Lancaster, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician, bandleader, composer |
| Instrument | Alto saxophone |
| Years active | 1969–2017 |
| Labels | Columbia, Enja, Savant Records |
| Formerly of | World Saxophone Quartet |
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.