Arthur Blythe | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Arthur Murray Blythe |
Also known as | Black Arthur |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | July 5, 1940
Died | March 27, 2017 Lancaster, California, U.S. | (aged 76)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer |
Instrument | Alto saxophone |
Years active | 1969–2017 |
Labels | Columbia, Enja, Savant Records |
Arthur Murray Blythe (July 5, 1940 – March 27, 2017)[1] 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.[1]