Customer Reviews

Lenox Avenue Breakdown

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first got this LP in '79 I wore it out. From its opening notes this release makes an impression with an air of textural sophistication and swing. It's an outing by players completely at ease with their virtuosity. Nothing is pressed or forced here. It's simultaneously adventurous in composition and soloing and unpretentious. The arrangements feel organic. DeJohnette, Ulmer, McBee, Franco and Newton all acquit themselves really well. Bob Stewart's tuba playing is rock steady and funky and makes you wonder why more ensembles bottoms aren't anchored by a tuba. The focal point of it all, Blythe, solos crisply and smartly and leads one of the great group efforts of the last 30 years.

Despite its much too long in coming reissue, Lenox Avenue remains a largely unknown jazz classic, at least to those too young or too old to have followed the scene close enough when it originally came out. In my mind, it's a must have, an essential CD. No jazz lover should be without this magical send up. The unusual instrumentation and the harmonic awareness of these musicians melds groove and melody with the seemless free improvisation that marked the era to form the most cogent piece of late '70s jazz now available.

How much does this work mean to me? The lump in my gut the day my LP version of Lenox broke while moving wasn't removed until it was finally reissued.

This is one of my all-time favorite recordings. It's rare when concept and execution so perfectly meet. Arthur Blythe had been playing the New York loft scene for some years before this album, exploring a wide range of musical settings (tuba and conga, quintet featuring cello, etc.) and avant-garde stylings. He said he used the tuba because it reminded him of old New Orleans music, and he saw it as a way to stayed rooted in the tradition while pushing forward musically. Blythe's playing itself was/is very individual, a fat, warm sound that seems impossible to get out of an alto, with a lot of Coltane inspiration but he definitely has his own voice--you could pick him out in a blindfold listening test in about two seconds. Anyway, on this album he got to take his explorations a bit further and managed to get some big name players to help out, like Jack DeJohnette, James Blood Ulmer, James Newton and Cecil McBee. The result is less austere than the albums Blythe made before this (Metamorphosis, Bush Baby), still true to an avant-garde exploratory spirit, but often melodic and lush, full of the blues, eminently accessible to almost any jazz fan.

The first two songs are great, but it's songs three and four that make this album transcendent. "Slidin' Through" has an earthy blues theme that's complemented by a slightly atonal riff by Ulmer, a wonderful McBee solo right after the head, played while the band keeps a subdued vamp going, DeJohnette doing some of that great bob-and-weave rhythm-keeping that's his trademark, then Bythe comes in and opens it up, and from there the song builds and builds, with passionate, rapid-fire interaction between Blythe and DeJohnette, and DeJohnette taking the song out with so much power, pushing everyone in the band--there's no tension/release when the song's theme is played at the end, things aren't over--it keeps a blistering amount of energy going through all the way to the fade-out.

This song was cited by Rafi Zabor in his novel "The Bear Comes Home" (recommended in its own right) as an example of why mere mortal musicians feared the prospect of playing with Mr. DeJohnette. He wasn't an accompanist, he was a force of nature, kicking everyone's musical behinds until they were all playing their utmost.

The next song, "Odessa", is very loose, Blythe melodically soloing over a meter-less rhythm section, kind of like Coltrane, with a slow, deep, almost mournful feel--for years I have hit the "repeat" button to hear that solo over and over, it's so emotionally enagaging...

Anyway, this is definitely a desert-island disc for me. I've played it for jazz fans of all stripes and everyone has found something to like in it.

Blythe's definitive work displays funky latino-style playing no doubt inluenced by the free-funk of Ornette Coleman's Prime Time work. James "Blood" Ulmer lays down beautiful guitarwork over chunky pieces of rhythm. Blythe's thick sound is every bit as delightful and sometimes reminiscent of Albert Ayler's R&B-influenced style, albeit not as confrontational. The sunny theme of the opener flows into the title track. Breezy is the word I'm looking for. Song by song this is an elegant and essential record, groovy as hell, and one of the late 70's best jazz records.

This cd has got an unbelievable amount of swing and you can just listen to it for the great grooves. But, I am discovering the more you listen to it the more fascinating the arrangements are and the more soulful all of the solos are. It is the kind of cd the more you play it the more you will love it. There is very little in modern jazz that compares with it. Simply astounding. At times like Mingus at times like...well you'll have to just listen and decide.

As funky as Ornette Coleman's Prime Time but much more accessible. James 'Blood' Ulmer sprays guitar riffs and accents all over the place while the band plays the groove. Arthur Blythe's alto sax sound is still one of the best in the business. And Bob Stewart's tuba really gets in there to mix it up with the rest of the instruments. Most of the band also contributed to Blythe's "Illusions" recording.

I had never heard of alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe when I picked this up on Columbia LP back in 1979; however, the cover art drew my attention and then the lineup of musicians on the back cover intrigued me enough to make the sale: Blythe on alto, James Newton on flute, Bob Stewart on tuba, James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar, Cecil McBee on bass, my main man Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Guillermo Franco on percussion. By time I had made it through the first two cuts on my first spin of the disk, I was hooked, and have been a big Arthur Blythe fan ever since. Now, finally, we have this recording available on CD, and I recommend this reissue highly to all jazz fans, particularly those who love a sense of energy and adventure in their music.

All the musicians on this date contribute mightily to the music, whether playing up front or providing accompaniment. The presence of both Stewart and McBee, for example, on the bottom end of the scale means that they can trade off playing supporting bass lines or contributing to the melodic improvisation. "Blood" Ulmer has always been an interesting guitarist with a style all his own, but here he blends in just fine whether playing chords or lead lines. Newton's flute adds a great touch of color, DeJohnette and Franco provide big double handfuls of rhythm, and Blythe plays his horn like a man possessed.

Lenox Avenue Breakdown may be 30 years old now, but it sounds as fresh as though it were just recorded yesterday. At 40 minutes, it is a little on the short side, but believe me, I'd pay for this CD even if it included only the first two cuts, "Down San Diego Way" and "Lenox Avenue Breakdown." Wow! Double wow!!

Arthur Blythe is not the world's most famous jazz musician. He's probably not even recognized as one of the top ten saxophonists, or maybe even one of the top ten alto-saxophonists, if you could care to try and classify him that way. Just the same, this recording of his is recognized as a member of the The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Ninth Edition core collection, and with good reason. Blythe and his band really bring the (relatively) short little four songs some energy and verve, and the entanglement of solos and comping, and the trading back and forth, and the stating-breaking down-then restating of themes is just so enthusiastic and enjoyable, it's a wonder Blythe and his group don't have a bigger following. I personally like this band because the mid-size ensemble is approaching the depth and sound level of a big band, and it contains a couple of instruments (flute and tuba) that are not often found in jazz bands these days but which I think add a lot to any band willing to incorporate them. Blythe is also clever enough to let all the instruments, including the odder ones, work with the music and the rest of the standard-instrument band members. (I myself played in a quintet with a tuba, one of the "forsaken" instruments Blythe includes here, and I found the resulting sound incredibly dynamic, interesting and fun, both in our group and Blythe's.) My only nits to pick are that there is no piano and that parts of some of the songs tend to fall off into pseudo free jazz, which some might find intriguing but which I find fatiguing. But as far as free jazz goes, it isn't too weird and the rest of the music holds the entire production together, so it is a minor complaint at best. Speaking of production, all the tracks are very clean and brightly mixed, making for a pleasant listening experience. The liner notes are average for a jazz recording, but at least they talk about the music and musicians and not about the record label or the "mood of the times" when was recorded, or other irrelevant crap. For me, this work is anything but a breakdown. It really starts to gun my jazz engine.

On reflection, I can't explain why, being an avid (though, admittedly, young) jazz enthusiast I hadn't actually listened to this album entirely until just a few weeks ago. Since then I haven't been able to eject it from my CD player. Being a huge fan of Mingus, Smith, Davis, Jarrett, Evans, Hancock, Farlow, and Montgomery (not to mention the countless other brilliant minds) I had yet to discover Mr. Blythe until one day I bought it to "complete" my collection.

Instantly, on my first experience, I heard the joyous bombast that had been described so many times before by critics and biographers about Blythe's insistently merry music. And it swings! DeJohnette is fantastic as usual and the combination of saxophone, flute, and tuba is immeasurably showcased here in all its glory (including a rare but inspired tuba solo).

So, I haven't talked much about the MUSIC, more about the feeling I got from it and my surprise that everyone who's been listening to it for years isn't shouting Blythe's name reverently from some mountain top or other.

Suffice it to say, if you're into high energy, blissful jazz, you'll love this album. There's no studio gimmickry or stylistic posturing, it's pure music from an extraordinary ensemble of talented musicians.

probably no more than a name, but if not, hopefully, someone who knows for sure will provide information, the breakdown first occurred, at least in my collection of jazz, with louis armstrong's recording of chicago breakdown.

the recording at hand. blythe's recording is just outrageously great. the lineup is great and worth the purchase, james newton, cecil mcbee, jack dejohnette, bob stewart who was a member of lester bowie's brass fantasy, james 'blood' ulmer, and guillermo franco. the songs are great,written, every one of them, by arthur blythe. and the title song, had it no jazz name tradition (the poet, amiri baraka, dedicated a poem, entitled: in the tradition, to arthur blythe) lenox avenue breakdown would still stand, does still stand, a great piece of music on a recording of great music.