The CD reissue of Arthur Blythe's 1980 LP
Illusions is out of print and selling for high prices on the secondhand market, so here is a vinyl rip for anyone who would like to hear it without having to shell out $50-200 for a CD. This album is part of my James Blood Ulmer collection, as his guitar playing is all over it. Ulmer's guitar is also the only electric instrument in this album's lineup, the full list being:
- Arthur Blythe, alto sax
- Fred Hopkins, acoustic bass
- Steve McCall, drums
- John Hicks, piano
- James Blood Ulmer, electric guitar
- Abdul Wadud, cello
- Bob Stewart, tuba
- Bobby Battle, drums
The tuba gives the tunes a heavier beat and grounding in traditional jazz than the average avant-garde jazz session, and Blythe switches easily between lyrical leads and free wailing.
Illusions was the third in a string of nine Blythe albums released by Columbia between 1978 and 1987, and came at the same time as Ulmer's brief tenure at the label, which resulted in the fiery
Black Rock and
Free Lancing LPs as well as the classic trio set
Odyssey. If only Columbia had managed to push this jazz subgenre into the mainstream! The track list of
Illusions is:
- Bush Baby
- Miss Money
- Illusions
- My Son Ra
- Carespin' With Mamie
- As Of Yet
Get the vinyl rip here or here.
The CD reissue of Arthur Blythe's 1980 LP Illusions is out of print and selling for high prices on the secondhand market, so here is a vinyl rip for anyone who would like to hear it without having to shell out $50-200 for a CD. This album is part of my James Blood Ulmer collection, as his guitar playing is all over it. Ulmer's guitar is also the only electric instrument in this album's lineup, the full list being:
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