Julius Hemphill : Composer

Compositions A-E

C

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This composition had a number of alternative titles. As “C,” it was recorded as a trio with cello and percussion for Raw Materials and Residuals (1978); as a duet with cello for Oakland Duets (1993)—both with Abdul Wadud—and in a small group for the Lester Bowie album Fast Last! (1974). As “C/Saw,” it was recorded by big band on the album Julius Hemphill Big Band (1988). It also appears as “C (Those Blues)” in the big-band score in Hemphill’s hand and on archival recordings of live performances. The archive contains the score and parts for the big-band arrangement.

From Marty Ehrlich: This is was Hemphill’s go-to blues, along with “K.C. Line.” Both pieces are up-tempo works evoking the language of Charlie Parker and his peers, the whole lineage up to the bebop era. The piece is at the core of Hemphill’s language on the alto saxophone.

Found on: Raw Materials and Residuals, Julius Hemphill Big Band, Oakland Duets, Fast Last!.

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BZ

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Fragmentary score in Music Manuscript Notebook 4 (MMN4) for an expanded big-band ensemble (piccolo, flute, clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, three trumpets, trombones, cello, bass, and percussion). The score includes a sketch for a fourteen-measure introduction, followed by twenty measures of a soprano saxophone part written over a ii/V chord progression.

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Buster Bee

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Composition for two saxophones, recorded on the duo album with Oliver Lake, Buster Bee (1978). An alto saxophone part in Hemphill’s hand is in Music Manuscript Notebook 4 (MMN4). The archive also includes a photocopy in holograph of an additional saxophone part, annotated with the name “Oliver Lake,” on manuscript paper that also includes saxophone parts for the compositions “S*“, “Fertility,” “Twelve Gates,” and “8464Z.” 

Found on: Buster Bee.

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Bumpkin

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Composition for saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone). The archive includes professionally copied parts, which Marty Ehrlich used to assemble a score that was published by Subito Music in the Saxophone Quartet collection. The piece was recorded posthumously by the Julius Hemphill Sextet on At Dr. King’s Table (1997).

Found on: At Dr. King’s Table.

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Bordertown

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This composition was recorded and performed by different ensembles throughout Hemphill’s career. It sometimes bears the subtitle “(San Antonio).” The archive includes scores and parts for the big-band version of this piece, which appears on Julius Hemphill Big Band (1988). It also includes the saxophone quartet version (recorded by the World Saxophone Quartet on the 1984 album Live in Zurich). The archive also contains a part for bassoon and a piano arrangement with the annotations “Julius Hemphill, Composer” and  “Good Boye Music ASCAP.” 

Found on: Live in Zurich, Julius Hemphill Big Band, Live from the New Music Cafe.

From Marty Ehrlich: This folder contains the holograph scores, in pencil with directions in red pen added afterwards, for the big band version as performed by the Julius Hemphill Big Band in 1980 at the Public Theater, New York City. There are two additions in Hemphill’s hand that were made for the 1988 recording, one for background parts to be played in the solo section, and one for a harmonization of the coda. One score page is annotated with Jamaaladeen Tacuma’s name and phone numbers. Bassoonist Janet Grice’s name is written on the saxophone quartet score. This annotation may refer to a performance in 1981 that included Grice, at Soundscape in New York City .

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