In Part 8 of our series on saxophonist and composer Julius Hemphill, we explore solo recordings with overdubs made in 1976 and 1977.
Born in Fort Worth in 1938, Hemphill died in New York in 1995. He was one of the most dynamic, original and inventive jazz musicians to emerge from the late 1960s onwards. His discography may be modest in size, but it is full of masterpieces and overlooked gems.
In 1968, Hemphill helped establish the Black Artists Group, a collective of innovative Black musicians in St. Louis. Eight years later, he co-founded the World Saxophone Quartet, becoming its principal composer and arranger.
Playlist
- Julius Hemphill – Blue Boyé (Screwgun Records 1999)
Julius Hemphill – altsax, sopraansax, fluit, percussie
Opgenomen in januari 1977 in Larchmont, New York - Julius Hemphill – Roi Boyé & The Gotham Minstrels (Sackville Recordings 1977)
Julius Hemphill – altsax, sopraansax, fluit
Opgenomen in november 1976 (Larchmont, New York ) en maart 1977 (Toronto Canada)
Hemphill’s compositions are still performed regularly by many of his former students, among them David Sanborn, Tim Berne, James Carter and Marty Ehrlich. British alto saxophonist Seymour Wright puts it this way:
“Hemphill’s music sounds fantastic. Beautiful, often swinging compositions weave together long, meaningful lines, layering and balancing them against one another. These lines can move from horizontal to vertical, from a flat plane to a complete stop, and back again. Solid, often slow rhythms build gradually, opening up layered spaces for soloists to engage in dialogue and exchange.”
It may sound a little abstract, but once you hear the music, you’ll understand exactly what he means.
