Search - Arthur Blythe :: Night Song

Somebody Please Reissue This!

Karl W. Nehring | Ostrander, OH USA | 07/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was first attracted to this disk because I had not heard anything for quite some time by alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe. When I picked up the jewel case and read the little blurb printed just below the Clarity Recordings logo on the cover, I discovered that this disk was claimed to contain a "Naturally Balanced Two Microphone Audiophile Recording." I just had to have it, and there went fifteen bucks...



It was money well spent. It was really great to hear Arthur Blythe once again, the music was unique in sonority, and the recording truly was naturally balanced--a genuine audiophile recording. Blythe heads a group consisting of his saxophone, the marimba and vibes of Gust Tillis, the tuba of Bob Stewart, the bass clarinet and percussion of Chico Freeman, and assorted percussion played by Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Josh Jones, and David Frazier. The ensemble was recorded in a church in Berkeley, California, and both the music and the sound have an organic quality to them that sounds just right: nicely balanced, powerful, but yet with a delicacy that captivates. It was a special treat to hear Blythe's composition "Down San Diego Way" played by this group with its unique sonority. The tune appears on a couple of Blythe's earlier albums, and I wouldn't mind hearing it on a couple of future Arthur Blythe recordings. It's a great tune, and this is a great arrangement. All in all, this is a great CD, and I recommend it with enthusiasm to jazz lovers and audiophiles alike."