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April 7, 1983

JAZZ James Newton: ''Axum.'' Newton, flute, alto and bass flutes. (ECM 1-1214.) James Newton - exponent of the new eclecticism in jazz, with roots in blues, jazz, gospel, rock, classical, and world folk music - plays flutes alone, and with himself on this uncategorizable album, which he claims was inspired by the Ethopian Magic Scrolls. True, the album is a tapestry of moods, colors, and textures. Newton, playing solo flute and ensemble flutes in the overdubbings, sometimes combining his voice with the overtones of the flute, manages to produce sounds ranging from the joyously lyrical to the sadly mournful and downright eerie.