Arthur Rhames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Rhames
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Arthur Rhames with Eternity at the Prospect Park Band Shell c. 1978
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 25, 1957 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 1989 (aged 32) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Free jazz, rock, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, tenor saxophone |
| Years active | 1977–1989 |
| Associated acts | Eternity, Arthur Rhames Trio, Rashied Ali |
Arthur Rhames (born October 25, 1957 – died December 27, 1989) was an amazing American musician. He was known for playing the guitar, tenor saxophone, and piano. He was a very skilled player who practiced for many hours each day. Sadly, he passed away at a young age in 1989.
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Arthur's Early Life and Music
Arthur was born in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was famous for his incredible talent and how much he practiced. Local musicians knew he would often practice for up to 18 hours a day! Even with his amazing skills, he never signed a big recording contract.
He started his music career in the early 1970s. He played electric guitar in funk and R&B bands.
The Eternity Trio
In 1978, Arthur joined a band called Eternity. He played guitar with bassist Cleve Alleyne and drummer Adrian Grannum. Later, Collin Young became their drummer. Eternity played many shows in the New York area. They performed at places like the Prospect Park soundstage and local colleges.
Eternity was a power trio inspired by the band Mahavishnu Orchestra. Even though they didn't sign with a record label, people started talking about how good they were. This led to them opening shows for Larry Coryell's band, Eleventh House.
During these shows, Arthur got a lot of praise from the audience. He even got a mention in Guitar World magazine. However, there were some disagreements backstage. Larry Coryell didn't want to call Arthur a guitarist. He only referred to him as "the piano player." After a few shows, Eternity left the tour. Still, Arthur played on Larry Coryell's 1978 album, Difference.
Arthur's Spiritual Side
Some people found Arthur a bit difficult. He was known for being late and would sometimes say "I'm Arthur Rhames!" if someone challenged him. But he also had a deep spiritual side.
Around the time he was with Eternity, he learned about the teachings of Swami Prabhupada. These teachings were about Vaishnava philosophy and the Bhagavad Gita. This had a big impact on how Arthur saw the world. He even went to the Hare Krishna Temple in Brooklyn. Sometimes his whole band went with him. They wrote songs together that showed these Eastern ideas, like "Anu Dance."
Later Career and Collaborations
Eternity broke up around 1980. After that, Arthur often played music on the street, known as busking. He played saxophone in and around Manhattan with keyboardist and drummer Charles Telerant.
He also worked a lot with Rashied Ali, a famous drummer who played with John Coltrane. They formed a group called The Dynamic Duo. They performed at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1981.
In October 1981, recordings were made of Arthur's former trio. This group included pianist John Esposito and drummer Jeff Siegel. They played famous songs by John Coltrane, like "Giant Steps" and "Moment's Notice." They also covered "I Want Jesus To Talk To Me" by Albert Ayler. These recordings were later released as Live From The Soundscape. Arthur was only 24 years old at the time. In 1988, he played with Rashied Ali again in a quartet at New York's Knitting Factory.
Final Years
Before he passed away, Arthur Rhames was working as a security guard. However, according to Charles Telerant, a musician who played with Arthur, Arthur later toured as a guitarist with George Clinton from P-Funk. Arthur showed up to the audition in his security uniform!
Charles Telerant also shared a story about Arthur. He was talking to Brian Bacchus, a music executive. When Charles mentioned Arthur Rhames, Brian got very excited. He said he would sign Arthur right away. Charles had to tell him, "You can't Brian. Arthur died three weeks ago."
Even in his final days, Arthur remained hopeful. He once said, "When I get better and get out of here I'm going to concentrate on the blues because this experience has given me a new insight into human suffering."
Quotes
- "When I play music, it feels natural to me. But this natural feeling comes from all my years of playing. It includes everything I know about music, its history, and how to play my instrument. All these things come together to create something that shows how I feel when I perform." - Arthur Rhames
- "I didn't copy John Coltrane's exact notes. Instead, I tried to understand how he expressed himself through his music. I wanted to learn his style and rhythm, like the basic shape of his music. Then, I would fill that shape with my own notes and ideas. I knew I had something unique to say."
Discography
- The Dynamic Duo Remember Trane & Bird (Ayler, 1981) by Rashied Ali & Arthur Rhames
- Live from Soundscape (DIW, 1981) by Arthur Rhames Trio
- Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame (Atlantic, 1983) by Steve Arrington
See Also
- List of jazz guitarists
- List of jazz saxophonists
- List of jazz pianists
