Fragmentary composition, only known as a 30-measure chord progression in 3/4 time on an instrumental part for bass in the Julius Hemphill Papers. No known recording. It appears on the same manuscript pages as another chord progression, entitled “S464Z.”
Compositions M-R
Rivers of Fire
Composition for soprano saxophone, trumpet, marimba, and cello. This work appears to be part of a suite with “Hand-Packed” and “Volunteered Blues.” The archive includes a photocopy of a score in holograph. No known recording.
From Marty Ehrlich: There is a note on the score, “K.C. cue,” which may refer to Hemphill’s frequent collaborator, the poet K. Curtis Lyle. “Rivers of Fire” has a series of short phrases, with open spaces for improvisation. As with “Hand-Packed” and “Volunteered Blues,” the instrumentation in this score is the same as the quartet on the album Flat-Out Jump Suite, except with Warren Smith on marimba rather than other percussion. I would date this work ca. 1980.
Rites
The Julius Hemphill Papers has a number of different scores for this composition, which was first recorded on Hemphill’s debut album Dogon A.D. (1972). On that album, it is played by an ensemble of saxophone, trumpet, cello, and percussion. Music Manuscript Notebook 2 (MMN2) includes an arrangement for alto saxophone, trumpet, guitar, and bass, with the title “Original Rites.” Hemphill also arranged “Rites” for big band (five saxophones, two trumpets, two trombones, two French horns, two guitars, bass, and drums), though it was not included on the album Julius Hemphill Big Band (1988). The Julius Hemphill Papers includes a score in holograph for the big band version, as well as professionally copied parts in manuscript. There are numerous instrumental parts for various ensembles, including some for string instruments from an unknown performance. Some parts appear in MMN7, 8, and 9.
Found on: Dogon A.D., Dogon A.D. (2011 reissue), Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill), The Hard Blues: Live in Lisbon.
From Marty Ehrlich: Hemphill brought the big-band arrangement of “Rites” to the rehearsals for the Julius Hemphill Big Band recording, and we tried it once at the warm-up gig we did at the Village Gate before the recording session. The arrangement was complicated, a real re-imagining and extension of the work. I think we ran out of time to make it happen, with the recording session up ahead.
Roi Boyé and the Gotham Minstrels
Composition by Julius Hemphill, divided into four tracks (one for each LP side) on the double album Roi Boyé and the Gotham Minstrels (1977). The liner notes describe this work as an “audio drama,” with Hemphill overdubbing himself on alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and flute. There is no known score.
Found on: Roi Boyé and the Gotham Minstrels.
Revue
Composition for saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), recorded by the World Saxophone Quartet on Revue (1982). The archive includes the parts in holograph as well as a live recording of the WSQ performing this piece. Hemphill also arranged this piece for saxophone sextet (two soprano, alto, two tenor, and baritone). It was recorded in this arrangement by the Julius Hemphill Sextet on the posthumous album The Hard Blues: Live in Lisbon (2005).
Found on: Revue, The Hard Blues: Live in Lisbon.
From Marty Ehrlich: Hemphill made the version for sextet by doubling the soprano saxophone part at an octave below and doubling the tenor saxophone at an octave above.