Julius Hemphill

Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended I.M. Terrell High School (as did Ornette Coleman). He studied the clarinet with John Carter, Hemphill joined the United States Army in 1964, and served for several years in the United States Army Band. Hemphill left the World Saxophone Quartet in the early 1990s, and formed a saxophone quintet. Hemphill recorded over 20 albums as a leader, around 10 records with the World Saxophone Quartet and recorded or performed with Björk, Bill Frisell, Anthony Braxton and others. Late in his life, ill-health (including diabetes and heart surgery) forced Hemphill to stop playing saxophone, but he continued writing music until his death also released several albums of Hemphill’s music, but without Hemphill playing. The most recent is entitled The Hard Blues, recorded live in Lisbon after Hemphill’s death from diabetes. In 2021, New World Records released a retrospective seven-disc box set album titled The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony