Julius Hemphill

Biography

Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was born in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended I.M. Terrell High School alongside Ornette Coleman. A football star and music student, he initially studied clarinet under John Carter before switching to saxophone, drawing early influence from Gerry Mulligan. After studying at North Texas State College, he joined the U.S. Army Band in 1964 and briefly performed with Ike Turner. In 1968, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, co-founding the Black Artists' Group (BAG), a multidisciplinary collective that fostered his experimental jazz style blending blues roots, free jazz, and avant-garde elements.[1][2][3]

Hemphill relocated to New York City in the mid-1970s, immersing himself in the free jazz scene and founding the World Saxophone Quartet (WSQ) in 1976 with Oliver Lake, David Murray, and Hamiet Bluiett—a revolutionary all-saxophone ensemble without rhythm section. He recorded over 20 albums as a leader, including Dogon A.D. (1972) with cellist Abdul Wadud, Coon Bid’ness, and Roi Boyé and the Gotham Minstrels, while establishing his own Mbari label. Collaborations extended to multidisciplinary works like Long Tongues: A Saxophone Opera and projects with dancer Bill T. Jones. He left WSQ in the early 1990s to form a saxophone sextet and continued composing despite health issues.[2][4][5]

Late in life, diabetes and heart surgery prevented Hemphill from playing saxophone, but he persisted in writing music until his death in New York City at age 57. His legacy endures through posthumous releases like the 2021 box set The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony and performances by ensembles such as Marty Ehrlich's saxophone sextet, which interpreted works like The Hard Blues. Renowned for innovative arrangements and reed harmonies, Hemphill bridged blues, bebop, and avant-garde jazz.[1][2][5]

Fun Facts

• Hemphill was a football star at I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth before pursuing music full-time.[3]
• The World Saxophone Quartet formed spontaneously for a gig in New Orleans when Hemphill, Lake, Murray, and Bluiett needed material to perform.[4]
• He founded his own record label, Mbari, in 1971, releasing The Collected Poem for Blind Lemon Jefferson with poet K. Curtis Lyle.[3]
• Despite health issues halting his playing, ensembles like Marty Ehrlich's sextet continued performing his music posthumously, including live recordings of The Hard Blues in Lisbon.[2]

Associated Acts

• World Saxophone Quartet - flute, original (1977–1991)
• World Saxophone Quartet - original, soprano saxophone (1977–1991)
• World Saxophone Quartet - alto saxophone, original (1977–1991)
• Julius Hemphill Trio - eponymous
• The Boyé Multi-National Crusade For Harmony
• Julius Hemphill Quintet
• The Julius Hemphill / Abdul Wadud Duo
• The Janus Company
• The K. Curtis Lyle / Julius Hemphill Duo
• The JAH Band

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• John Carter - Clarinet teacher at I.M. Terrell High School (Early clarinet studies) [1950s]
• Gerry Mulligan - Early stylistic influence on saxophone playing (N/A) [Early career]

Key Collaborators

• Oliver Lake - BAG co-founder and WSQ member (World Saxophone Quartet albums) [1968-1989]
• Hamiet Bluiett - BAG co-founder and WSQ member (World Saxophone Quartet albums) [1968-1989]
• David Murray - WSQ member (World Saxophone Quartet albums) [1976-1989]
• Anthony Braxton - Saxophone-only ensembles leading to WSQ (Collaborative recordings) [Mid-1970s]
• Abdul Wadud - Ongoing partnership in experimental jazz (Dogon A.D. (1972)) [1970s]
• Marty Ehrlich - Sextet leader and close associate (The Hard Blues, Long Tongues: A Saxophone Opera) [1980s-1990s]
• Bill T. Jones - Multidisciplinary dance collaborations (Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land) [Late 1980s-1990s]
• Baikida Carroll - BAG collaborator (trumpeter) (BAG projects) [1968-1970s]
• Floyd LeFlore - BAG collaborator (trumpeter) (BAG projects) [1968-1970s]

Artists Influenced

• David Sanborn - Saxophone student (N/A) [1970s]
• Tim Berne - Saxophone student and commissioned composer (Diminutive Mysteries (mostly Hemphill) (1992)) [1980s-1990s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #free-jazz, #jazz