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.
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 (75–77). He subsequently played with Gil Evans' Orchestra (1976–78), Lester Bowie (1978), Jack DeJohnette (1979) and McCoy Tyner (also 1979). 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
As leader
Year Title Label
1977 The Grip India Navigation
1977 Metamorphosis India Navigation
1977 Bush Baby Adelphi
1978 In the Tradition Columbia
1978 Lenox Avenue Breakdown Columbia
1980 Illusions Columbia
1981 Blythe Spirit Columbia
1982 Elaborations Columbia
1983 Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk Columbia
1984 Put Sunshine in It Columbia
1986 Da-Da Columbia
1987 Basic Blythe Columbia
1996 Calling Card Enja
1996 Synergy In + Out
1991 Hipmotism Enja
1997 Today's Blues CIMP
1997 Night Song Clarity
2000 Spirits in the Field Savant
2001 Blythe Byte Savant
2002 Focus Savant
2003 Exhale Savant
Collaborations
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
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)
Come Sunday
Arthur Blythe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
I believe that God put sun and moon up in the sky.
I don't mind the gray skies
'cause they're just clouds passing by.
Heaven is a goodness time.
A brighter light on high.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
And have a brighter by and by.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
I believe God is now, was then and always will be.
With God's blessing we can make it through eternity.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
In Arthur Blythe's song "Come Sunday", the lyrics express a deep yearning for hope and salvation in trying times. Addressing God as the "Lord above, God almighty, God of love", the song asks for divine intervention and guidance for Blythe's people. The lyrics suggest a strong belief in God and His power to bring good even in the midst of dark and difficult circumstances. Blythe acknowledges the presence of gray skies and temporary hardships but remains steadfast in his faith that everything will ultimately work out for the greater good.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
Oh God, the supreme being, please hear my plea.
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
May you oversee and guide my community with your grace and love.
I believe that God put sun and moon up in the sky.
It is my faith that God created the heavenly bodies of sun and moon.
I don't mind the gray skies
I do not fret about overcast skies because they are transitory.
'cause they're just clouds passing by.
Because they are only clouds that will disappear.
Heaven is a goodness time.
Heaven is a period of pure goodness and peace.
A brighter light on high.
A radiant, luminous light above us.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
And have a brighter by and by.
As a result, there will be a more positive future.
I believe God is now, was then and always will be.
I believe that God exists in the present, past and future.
With God's blessing we can make it through eternity.
With God's favor, we can endure for all eternity.
Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
Oh God, the supreme being, please hear my plea.
God of love, please look down and see my people through.
May you oversee and guide my community with your grace and love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adeline Goldminc-Tronzo
beautiful and i was fortunate to hear him live numerous times in NYC early in his career