Julius Hemphill : Composer

’Coon Bid'ness

Skin 2

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Composition for two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, cello, percussion, and drums, recorded on ’Coon Bid’ness (1975). Composition for two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, cello, percussion, and drums, recorded on ’Coon Bid’ness (1975). The collection includes a transcription of this work by Jerome Harris from the recording.

From Marty Ehrlich: Hemphill may have meant the melody he plays on “Skin 2” to be sung, and it was too hard for a singer, so he overdubbed himself playing it.

Found on: ’Coon Bid’ness.

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Reflections

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Composition for two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, cello, and drums, recorded as the first track on ’Coon Bid’ness (1975). The archival collection includes a transcription of this work by Jerome Harris from the recording.

Found on: ’Coon Bid’ness.

From Marty Ehrlich: Because of the way the four pieces that make up Side A of the ’Coon Bid’ness LP connect and resonate with each other, I have always heard them as one continuous composition.

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Lyric

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Composition for two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, cello, drums, and percussion, appearing as the second track on ’Coon Bid’ness (1975). No known score.

Found on: ’Coon Bid’ness.

From Marty Ehrlich: This is the second of four pieces that make up the first side of the original LP. I have always heard it as one continuous composition, for the ways in which these four works connect and resonate with each other.

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Hard Blues, The

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This is one of Hemphill’s most frequently recorded and performed works. The archive includes various scores and parts, including a short score in holograph for alto saxophone, trumpet, cello, and bass in Music Manuscript Notebook 3. It was first recorded during the sessions for Dogon A.D. (1972), though it was not released until his next album, ’Coon Bid’ness (1975). Hemphill arranged “The Hard Blues” for big band in 1980 for performances at the Public Theatre in New York City, which are documented on archival recordings. The piece was also included in “Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin / The Promised Land,” in a version for saxophone sextet later recorded by the Julius Hemphill Sextet. Also see “Hardening.”

From Marty Ehrlich: On the recording session that produced Dogon A.D., Hemphill recorded more music than could fit on one recording, including this piece. He released it four years later on ’Coon Bid’ness. He also performed this work with his JAH band and other small groups with rhythm section.

Found on: ’Coon Bid’ness, Dogon A.D. 2011, Georgia Blue, Fat Man and the Hard Blues, The Hard Blues: Live in Lisbon.

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