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, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

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 pr ...

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 the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

,Bradley Shreve, "," ''

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

'' Online, accessed July 26, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. and attended

I.M. Terrell High School I.M Terrell High School was a secondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school opened in 1882 as the city's first black school, during the era of formal racial segregation in the United States. Though the high school closed in 1973, th ...

(as did

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

). He studied the

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

with John Carter, another I.M. Terrell alumnus, before learning saxophone.

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

was an early influence. He studied music at

North Texas State College The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...

. Hemphill joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

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 nine official performing ensembles in the unit: The U.S. Army Concert Band, The U.S. A ...

. 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 1 ...

for a brief period. In 1968, Hemphill moved to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, and co-founded the

Black Artists' Group The Black Artists Group (BAG) was a multidisciplinary arts collective that existed in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1968 to 1972. BAG is known for the convergence of free jazz and experimental theater. Members Members included saxophonists Julius ...

(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 jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano and flute. During the 1960s, Lake worked with the Black Art ...

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 mem ...

, trumpeters

Baikida Carroll Baikida Carroll (born January 15, 1947) is an American jazz trumpeter. Carroll studied at Southern Illinois University and at the Armed Forces School of Music. Following this he became a member of the Black Artists Group in St. Louis, where he di ...

and

Floyd LeFlore Floyd LeFlore (1940–2014) was a jazz composer, trumpet player, and poet from St. Louis. In 1968, LeFlore helped to found the Black Artists Group (BAG). Biography LeFlore was the nephew of Clarence "Bucky" Jarman, a guitarist also of St. Louis. I ...

, 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 is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

community. He gave saxophone lessons to a number of musicians, including

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

and

Tim Berne Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones. Biography Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said that ...

. Hemphill was probably best known as the founder of the

World Saxophone Quartet The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music. The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), ...

, 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 Chica ...

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 three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist, composer and arranger. Frisell first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts ...

and others. Late in his life, ill-health (including

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

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 Marty Ehrlich (born May 31, 1955) is a multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and is considered one of the leading figures in avant-garde jazz. Biography Though born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the portion of Ehrlich's youth spent in ...

, 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 (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

after Hemphill's death from diabetes. 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 and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in March and April 1994, and which is held at the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Discography

As leader

* ''

Dogon A.D. ''Dogon A.D.'' is an album by saxophonist Julius Hemphill. It was recorded in February 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri, and was initially released on LP in limited quantities later that year by Hemphill's own Mbari Records, a label he created for the e ...

'' (Mbari, 1972) * ''

Coon Bid'ness ''Coon Bid'ness'' is an album released by Julius Hemphill in 1975 on Arista featuring performances by Hemphill, Baikida Carroll, Abdul Wadud, Phillip Wilson, Arthur Blythe, Barry Altschul and Daniel Zebulon. The final track, "The Hard Blues," w ...

'' (Arista/Freedom, 1975) * ''Blue Boye'' (Mbari, 1977) (Reissued by Screwgun in 1999) * ''Roi Boye & the Gotham Minstrels'' (Sackville, 1977) * ''

Raw Materials and Residuals ''Raw Materials and Residuals'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Julius Hemphill featuring cellist Abdul Wadud and percussionist Don Moye recorded in 1977 for the Italian Black Saint/Soul Note, Black Saint label.Flat-Out Jump Suite'' (Black Saint, 1980) * ''Georgia Blue'' (Minor Music, 1984) * ''

Julius Hemphill Big Band ''Julius Hemphill Big Band'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Julius Hemphill recorded in 1988 for the Elektra/Musician label.

'' (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) * '' Five Chord Stud'' (Black Saint, 1993) * ''Chile New York'' (Black Saint, 1998) (Recorded 1980) * ''Live at Kassiopeia'' (NoBusiness, 2011) (Recorded 1987) With

* ''

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 dangerous, physically impossible or difficult, or prohibitively expensive. The point of no return can be a ...

'' (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 theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

'' (Black Saint, 1982) * '' Live in Zurich'' (Black Saint, 1984) * '' Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music'' (Black Saint, 1986) * ''

Plays Duke Ellington ''Plays Duke Ellington'' is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released in 1986. The album marked a departure for the quartet, in that their first six albums had been of music written by the four musicians themselves; this was ...

'' (Nonesuch, 1986) * ''

Dances and Ballads ''Dances and Ballads'' is an album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released in 1988 and featuring performances by Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and David Murray. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded ...

'' (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 in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

'' (Elektra Musician, 1989)

As sideman

Lightnin' Rod Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin (July 24, 1944 – June 4, 2018) was an American poet and musician. He was one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians that evolved in the 1960s out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in ...

, ''Hustlers Convention'' (United Artists, 1973) *

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

, '' Fast Last!'' (Muse, 1974) *

, '' New York, Fall 1974'' (Arista, 1975) *

, Julius Hemphill, ''Buster Bee'' (Sackville, 1978) *

Charles "Bobo" Shaw Charles Wesley "Bobo" Shaw (September 5, 1947 – January 16, 2017) was an American free jazz drummer, known as a prominent member of the Human Arts Ensemble and Black Artists Group. He was born in Pope, Mississippi, United States. Charles "Bob ...

, ''Concere Ntasiah'' (Universal Justice, 1978) * Charles "Bobo" Shaw, ''

Streets of St. Louis The streets of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and the surrounding area of Greater St. Louis are under the jurisdiction of the City of St. Louis Street Departmen According to the Streets Division, there are of streets and of alleys within t ...

'' (Moers Music, 1978) * Kalaparush, ''Ram's Run'' (Cadence, 1982) *

, '' Shadows and Reflections'' (Soul Note, 1982) *

Jamaaladeen Tacuma Jamaaladeen Tacuma (born Rudy McDaniel; June 11, 1956) is an American free jazz bassist born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in Coleman's P ...

, ''Show Stopper'' (Gramavision, 1983) * Jean-Paul Bourelly, ''

Jungle Cowboy ''Jungle Cowboy'' is the debut album by guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly which was recorded in late 1986 and released on the JMT label with distribution by Polygram. Reception The AllMusic review by Brian Olewnick states "A couple of the tracks ...

'' (JMT, 1987) *

, ''

Before We Were Born ''Before We Were Born'' is the first album by Bill Frisell to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label. It was released in 1989 and features performances by Frisell, cellist Hank Roberts, bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummer Joey Baron. Guests i ...

'' (Elektra Musician, 1989) * Allen Lowe, ''At the Moment of Impact'' (Fairhaven, 1990) * Allen Lowe, ''New Tango 92: After Astor Piazzolla'' (Fairhaven, 1991) *

Peter Kowald Peter Kowald (21 April 1944 – 21 September 2002) was a German free jazz and free improvising double bassist and tubist. Career A member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, and a touring double-bass player, Kowald collaborated with many European ...

, ''Duos America'' (FMP, 1991) * Peter Kowald, ''Duos: Europa America Japan'' (FMP, 1991)

References

External links

Biography in ''Handbook of Texas''Biography and recordings of his works
from the

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was founded ...

*
Smithsonian Institution Jazz Oral History Program Collection
*