Julius Hemphill
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Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
composer and
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute.


Biography

Hemphill was born in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
,Bradley Shreve, "," ''
Handbook of Texas The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...
'' Online, accessed July 26, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
and attended I.M. Terrell High School (as did
Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...
). He studied the
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
with John Carter, another I.M. Terrell alumnus, before learning saxophone. Gerry Mulligan was an early influence. He studied music at North Texas State College. Hemphill joined the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
in 1964, and served for several years in the
United States Army Band The United States Army Band, also known as "Pershing's Own", is the premier musical organization of the United States Army, founded in 1922. There are currently seven official performing ensembles in the unit: The U.S. Army Concert Band, The U.S. ...
. He later performed with
Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
for a brief period. In 1968, Hemphill moved to
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, and co-founded the Black Artists' Group (BAG), a multidisciplinary arts collective that brought him into contact with artists such as saxophonists
Oliver Lake Oliver Lake (born September 14, 1942) is an American List of jazz saxophonists, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano saxophone, soprano and flute. D ...
and
Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A membe ...
, trumpeters Baikida Carroll and Floyd LeFlore, and writer/director Malinke Robert Elliott. Hemphill moved to New York City in the mid-1970s, and was active in the then-thriving
free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...
community. He gave saxophone lessons to a number of musicians, including
David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...
and Tim Berne. Hemphill was probably best known as the founder of the World Saxophone Quartet, a group he formed in 1976, after collaborating with
Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...
in several saxophone-only ensembles. Hemphill left the World Saxophone Quartet in the early 1990s, and formed a saxophone quintet.Davis, Francis
"The Julius Hemphill Sextet: At Dr. King's Table"
Liner notes.
New World Records New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, Bill Frisell,
Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...
and others. Late in his life, ill-health (including
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
and heart surgery) forced Hemphill to stop playing saxophone, but he continued writing music until his death in New York City. His saxophone sextet, led by Marty Ehrlich, also released several albums of Hemphill's music, but without Hemphill playing. The most recent is entitled ''The Hard Blues'', recorded live in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
after Hemphill's death from diabetes. In 2021,
New World Records New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony'' featuring Hemphill in a variety of mostly live solo and group contexts. A source of information on Hemphill's life and music is a multi-hour oral history interview that he conducted for the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
in March and April 1994, and which is held at the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...


Discography


As leader

* '' Dogon A.D.'' (Mbari, 1972) * '' Coon Bid'ness'' (Arista/Freedom, 1975) reissued as ''Reflections'' in 1995 * '' Blue Boyé'' (Mbari, 1977) (Reissued by Screwgun in 1999) * '' Roi Boyé & the Gotham Minstrels'' (Sackville, 1977) * '' Raw Materials and Residuals'' (Black Saint, 1978) * '' Buster Bee'' (Sackville, 1978) with
Oliver Lake Oliver Lake (born September 14, 1942) is an American List of jazz saxophonists, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano saxophone, soprano and flute. D ...
* '' Live in New York'' (Red Record, 1978) with Abdul Wadud * '' Flat-Out Jump Suite'' (Black Saint, 1980) * ''Georgia Blue'' (Minor Music, 1984) * '' Julius Hemphill Big Band'' (Elektra Musician, 1988) * '' Fat Man and the Hard Blues'' (Black Saint, 1991) * '' Live from the New Music Cafe'' (Music & Arts, 1992) * '' Oakland Duets'' (Music & Arts, 1992) with Abdul Wadud * '' Five Chord Stud'' (Black Saint, 1993) * '' Chile New York'' (Black Saint, 1998) (Recorded 1980) * '' Live at Kassiopeia'' ( NoBusiness, 2011) (Recorded 1987) with Peter Kowald * '' The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony'' (New World, 2021) a seven-CD archival set recorded during 1977–2007 Albums featuring Hemphill's music * '' Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill)'' (JMT, 1993) * ''At Dr. King's Table'' (New World, 1997) * '' One Atmosphere'' (Tzadik, 2003) * ''The Hard Blues: Live in Lisbon'' (Clean Feed, 2004) With World Saxophone Quartet * ''
Point of No Return The point of no return (PNR or PONR) is the point beyond which one must continue on one's current course of action because turning back is no longer possible, being too dangerous, physically difficult, or prohibitively expensive to be undertaken. ...
'' (Moers Music, 1977) * '' Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet'' (Black Saint, 1979) * '' W.S.Q.'' (Black Saint, 1981) * ''
Revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
'' (Black Saint, 1982) * '' Live in Zurich'' (Black Saint, 1984) * '' Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music'' (Black Saint, 1986) * '' Plays Duke Ellington'' (Nonesuch, 1986) * '' Dances and Ballads'' (Elektra Nonesuch, 1987) * ''
Rhythm and Blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
'' (Elektra Musician, 1989)


As sideman

* Lightnin' Rod, '' Hustlers Convention'' (United Artists, 1973) * Lester Bowie, '' Fast Last!'' (Muse, 1974) *
Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...
, '' New York, Fall 1974'' (Arista, 1975) * Charles "Bobo" Shaw, ''Concere Ntasiah'' (Universal Justice, 1978) * Charles "Bobo" Shaw, ''Streets of St. Louis'' (Moers Music, 1978) * Kalaparush, ''Ram's Run'' (Cadence, 1982) * Baikida Carroll, '' Shadows and Reflections'' (Soul Note, 1982) * Jamaaladeen Tacuma, ''Show Stopper'' (Gramavision, 1983) * Jean-Paul Bourelly, '' Jungle Cowboy'' (JMT, 1987) * Bill Frisell, '' Before We Were Born'' (Elektra Musician, 1989) * Allen Lowe, ''At the Moment of Impact'' (Fairhaven, 1990) * Allen Lowe, ''New Tango 92: After Astor Piazzolla'' (Fairhaven, 1991) * Peter Kowald, ''Duos America'' (FMP, 1991) * Peter Kowald, ''Duos: Europa America Japan'' (FMP, 1991) * Juma Sultan's Aboriginal Music Society, '' Father of Origin'' (Eremite, 2011)


References


Further reading

*


External links


Biography in ''Handbook of Texas''Biography and recordings of his works
from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum *
Smithsonian Institution Jazz Oral History Program Collection
* Tim Berne discusses Hemphill
Screwgun Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hemphill, Julius 1938 births 1995 deaths American male jazz composers American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Avant-garde jazz musicians Bessie Award winners Deaths from diabetes in New York (state) Elektra Records artists Freedom Records artists Music of St. Louis Musicians from Fort Worth, Texas Tzadik Records artists World Saxophone Quartet members 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Texas 20th-century American male musicians Human Arts Ensemble members Clean Feed Records artists Music & Arts artists 20th-century American jazz composers NoBusiness Records artists DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members