Arthur Blythe - Retroflection (1994)

Arthur Blythe, whose alto tone has been quite original ever since the start of his career, is joined by pianist John Hicks, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Bobby Battle on this superior quartet date from Enja. Blythe really stretches out on this "Live at the Village Vanguard" set, with six of the seven songs being over nine minutes long. "Jana's Delight" (which is based on a five-note pattern), "JB Blues," a remake of Blythe's "Lenox Avenue Breakdown," and one of the best versions ever of Thelonious Monk's "Light Blue" are the high points of the explorative program. Arthur Blythe fans are strongly advised to pick up this particularly strong effort. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Enja Records, ENJ-8046 2, 1994

Digitally Recorded 25^th & 26^th June, 1993 Live > Two-Track at The Village Vanguard, NY

Musicians:

Arthur Blythe - Alto Saxophone

John Hicks - Piano

Cecil McBee - Bass

Bobby Battle - Drums

Tracks:

1. Jana's Delight {Don Pullen} (9:17)

2. JB Blues {Arthur Blythe} (9:31)

3. Peacemaker {Cecil McBee} (5:55)

4. Light Blue {Thelonious Monk} (11:51)

5. Lenox Avenue Breakdown {Arthur Blythe} (11:12)

6. Faceless Woman {Arthur Blythe} (11:33)

7. Break Tune {Arthur Blythe} (9:21)

Credits:

Producer - Matthias Winckelmann

Recording Engineer - David Baker

Recording Engineer Assistant - K. Naito

Design [Cover] - Elisabeth Winckelmann

Photography - Gene Martin

Typography - Jürgen Hübner

Liner Notes - T. Brooks Shepard