Focus

1. Opus 1 2. Children's Song 3. C.C. Rider 4. Once Again 5. My Son Ra 6. Hip Toe 7. Night Song 8. Bubbles 9. Stuffy Turkey 10. Night Creeper 11. In A Sentimental Mood 12. Focus

It is a difficult tightrope to walk when producing art that is 'of the moment' yet acknowledges its past. Only a certain type of artist can concoct the perfect blend -- modern, yet non-alienating, traditional yet not anachronistic. Such an artist is Arthur Blythe, who JAZZTIMES Magazine called, "the magic figure of reconciliation, the force for consensus, that modern jazz has been looking for in vain since the death of John Coltrane in 1967." Arthur has put together an ensemble, unusual in its instrumentation, unique in its tone color. Gust William Tsilis on concert grand marimba in place of piano, and Bob Stewart's tuba in place of the more usual string bass together with Arthur's biting alto sax and Cecil Brooks III's propulsive drumming all contribute to a recording which will certainly place Arthur Blythe firmly in the epicenter of modern jazz.

Price: $22.98