World Saxophone Quartet

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Biography Wikipedia

Group Members: Hamiet Bluiett, Black Saint Quartet, Bluiett Baritone Nation, Bluiett, Jackson, El Zabar, Jack Jeffers, Hamiet Bluiett & Concept, Hamiet Bluiett / Muhal Richard Abrams, Julius Hemphill, The Julius Hemphill Sextet, Julius Hemphill With Warren Smith, Oliver Lake & Julius Hemphill, Julius Hemphill, Abdul Wadud, Julius Hemphill Trio, Julius Hemphill Sextet, Oliver Lake Steel Quartet, Oliver Lake, The Oliver Lake String Project, Oliver Lake Big Band, Oliver Lake Quintet, Oliver Lake Quartet, Oliver Lake Organ Trio, Oliver Lake Organ Quartet, James Spaulding, David Murray, David Murray & The Gwo-Ka Masters, David Murray / Mal Waldron, David Murrary Quartet with Gwo Ka Masters, David Murray with Fontella Bass, Bluiett - Jackson - Thiam

from Wikipedia:

The World Saxophone Quartet is a jazz ensemble founded in 1977, implementing elements of free funk and African jazz into their musical routines.

History

The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), Oliver Lake (alto and soprano saxophone), Hamiet Bluiett (baritone saxophone, alto clarinet), and David Murray (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet). The first three had worked together as members of the Black Artists' Group in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1989, Hemphill left the group due to illness, and several saxophonists have filled his chair in the years since.

In the late 1980s the quartet used Bluiett's composition "Hattie Wall" (recorded on W.S.Q., Live in Zurich, Dances and Ballads and Steppenwolf) as a signature theme for the group.

The group principally recorded and performed as a saxophone quartet, usually with a lineup of two altos, tenor, and baritone (reflecting the composition of a classical string quartet), but were also joined occasionally by drummers, bassists, and other musicians.

eMusic Features

Julius Hemphill: Economical Orchestration and the Hard Blues

By Kevin Whitehead

In a more perfect world, Julius Hemphill (1938-95) would be better remembered as one of the key jazz composers of the last 40 years. Not least for his role as principal writer for the World Saxophone Quartet, starting in the mid '70s — thereby influencing a raft of reed choirs that took it as inspiration. WSQ made the standalone saxophone section into a standard ensemble: jazz's string quartet. California's Rova was founded around… more »

Video from YouTube

  • thumbnail from World Saxophone Quartet - The Guessing Game World Saxophone Quartet - The Guessing Game
  • thumbnail from World Saxophone Quartet - Foxy Lady World Saxophone Quartet - Foxy Lady
  • thumbnail from THE WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET - Yes We Can (2009) THE WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET - Yes We Can (2009)
  • thumbnail from World Saxophone Quartet: I Heard That World Saxophone Quartet: I Heard That