by Editor
Twenty-measure composition for trumpet, tenor saxophone, cello/bass, and drums. Parts and scores include this title. There is an alto saxophone transposition of the trumpet part in Marty Ehrlich’s hand. This piece is titled “Body” on the album Flat-Out Jump Suite (1980).
Found on: Flat-Out Jump Suite.
by Editor
The archive includes professionally copied parts in manuscript for saxophone quartet with woodwind doubling (two soprano saxophones, alto clarinet, and bass clarinet). The instrumentation suggests that it would have been performed by the World Saxophone Quartet, though it does not appear on any known commercial or archival recording.
by Editor
Composition for saxophone quartet (soprano, two tenor, and baritone). The archive includes professionally copied parts in manuscript, with notes indicating percussion. This piece was part of the Wind/Rhythms suite; it was written for the Word Saxophone Quartet’s concert with Max Roach and M’Boom, “The Grand Collaboration,” 1981. It was also recorded by the Julius Hemphill Sextet on the posthumous album At Dr. King’s Table (1997).
Found on: At Dr. King’s Table.
by Editor
Composition consisting of five chords with fermatas, for saxophone sextet (three alto, two tenor, and baritone), recorded on Five Chord Stud (1994). The archive includes a holograph score with the titles “Shorty” and “Five Chord Stud,” and two sets of parts, one for each title; the two-measure intro notated in the score is not included on the “Five Chord Stud” parts.
Found on: Five Chord Stud.
From Marty Ehrlich: Hemphill was too sick to play saxophone on this recording. This is the one new piece he brought to the session. We recorded it without rehearsal. The chords are held while one of the saxophones solos over the chord. On one hand, it seemed to be all he could do as a composer at that point. On the other hand, he trusted us to make a piece out of these sounds. It was a very moving situation.
by Editor
Twenty-one measure composition for saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums. The holograph score includes the annotation, “Written parts are for guitar and bass, drums and sax ad lib completely, make composite parts of score for drum/Sax reference.” The archive also includes professionally copied parts for saxophone and bass.
From Marty Ehrlich: Written on the score is a telephone number for bassoonist Janet Gryce [sic; Grice], as well as my own telephone number in Brooklyn (my name is not included). Gryce and I played together twice with Hemphill: in 1978 at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY, and in 1981 at Soundscape in Manhattan. Both performances are documented with archival recordings, so that may help date the composition.
The Julius Hemphill Papers is an archival collection at New York University. The collection contains scores, audiovisual documentation, and other material related to the life and career of composer and saxophonist Julius Hemphill. Materials are accessible by appointment. Click here to learn more.