Julius Hemphill (1938 - 1995): The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (Box Set)
Liner Notes   Cat. No. 80825     Release Date: 2021-01-29

ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS (1977–2007)

Julius Hemphill with
Malinké Elliott, K. Curtis Lyle, Abdul Wadud
Baikida Carroll, John Carter, Olu Dara
Nels Cline, Allan Jaffe, Jehri Riley, Jack Wilkins
Jerome Harris, Dave Holland, Steuart Liebig, Roberto Miranda
Michael Carvin, Alex Cline, Jack DeJohnette, Philip Wilson
Ursula Oppens, Daedalus String Quartet
Ray Anderson, Marty Ehrlich, Janet Grice, John Purcell, Bruce Purse

Disc 1: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony I [74:20]
Disc 2: The Julius Hemphill/Abdul Wadud Duo [60:51]
Disc 3: The Janus Company [73:47]
Disc 4: Chamber Music[63:32]
Disc 5: Roi Boyé Solo and Text [75:01]
Disc 6: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony II [65:07]
Disc 7:  Live At Joyous Lake [66:44]

Each disc/track in this set is available for separate download in *.mp3, FLAC & WAV format via the links above.

“Somehow I discovered I could write this music and play the saxophone. All that stumbling around and stuff, I ended up finally being able to play it a little bit. I ain’t the greatest by any means, not even close—but I think I’ve got depth, a broadness of my musical sensibility, that a lot of soloists don’t have, because they focus on that one thing, soloing. I want to develop the whole backdrop, the scenery. Once I found out that was possible, that I could collaborate with people, I came alive musically.” —Julius Hemphill

In response to the arguably self-righteous pronouncements made in the 1990s as to what jazz is and isn’t, Julius Hemphill (1938–1995) spoke up as he had done throughout his career. “Well, you often hear people nowadays talking about the tradition, tradition, tradition. But they have tunnel vision in this tradition. Because tradition in African-American music is wide as all outdoors.” This collection of music, this celebration of artistic collaborations that engaged Julius Hemphill throughout his life, adds much to what we know of his creativity in exploring the implications in that wide space. His work, done in what was not much more than twenty-five years, illuminated so many byways of that protean tradition, created in America against the direst of odds. Equally vital, Julius claimed, with great passion, his space to be expressive. He worked inward as much as he looked outward, in his artistic creativity and cultural engagements.

This box set contains musical compositions and performances that have come to light from the Julius Hemphill Archive at the Fales Library of New York University. These performances present thirty-five Hemphill compositions culled from close to 180 audio and visual documents of his work. Twenty-five of these works did not receive a commercial recording in his lifetime. Also represented in this box set are ensemble contexts Julius formed which did not receive substantial, or in some cases, any public documentation. These performances put Julius’s improvisational work as a saxophonist and flutist to the fore, from solo to quintet contexts. (The one exception being Disc 4, where we hear pieces Julius wrote for others to interpret.) Equally important, these performances deepen our experience of Julius’s long associations in artistic collaboration. — Marty Ehrlich, curator (from the liner notes)

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"Not only consists exclusively of previously unissued recordings, but also goes a long way in filling out the complex story of this multifaceted artist whose breadth and vision were seriously short-changed by the recording industry". Downbeat

"Mastery and Transgression’ in Music That Bridges Genres"New York Times

"Throughout the listener is struck by how effectively Hemphill was able to blend free blowing with structured composition. Some of his themes have the intensity of bebop leavened with the humour of Monk, but with a down-home flavour that was Hemphill’s own." Richard Williams

"This is a beautifully produced tribute to a still neglected master musician." —The Wire

"Julius Hemphill was one of the key jazz composers of the late 20th century, a modernist with deep roots. His music should be part of any informed listener's jazz education."NPR music

"This precious release not only sheds light on repertoire and ensembles already known by aficionados, but brings to the surface a large amount of fresh, surprising music which Hemphill wasn’t able to release, thus enriching an already impressive body of work."All About Jazz (in Italian)


Julius Hemphill

Julius Hemphill (1938 - 1995): The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (Box Set)

CD Box Set $111.93
WAV (all tracks) $69.99
FLAC (all tracks) $69.99
MP3 (all tracks) $69.99
Dear Friend
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Zuli
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Julius Hemphill band introduction #1
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At Harmony
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Air Rings
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Dimples: The Fat Lady on Parade
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Syntax
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Tightenin'
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Slang
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Unknown Title
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Rhapsody
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Downstairs
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Opener
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#4
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#3—Improvisation—#2
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Collective Improvisation
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Dogon A.D.
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Parchment
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Mingus Gold: Nostalgia in Times Square
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Mingus Gold: Alice’s Wonderland
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Mingus Gold: Better Get Hit in Your Soul
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Unknown Title No. 1
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Unknown Title No. 2
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Trills
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Unfiltered Dreams: Wade in the Water
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Unfiltered Dreams: Change My Clothes
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Unfiltered Dreams: Nobody Tells Me What to Do
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Unfiltered Dreams: Rapture Is the Rupture We Are Looking for
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Unfiltered Dreams: Compute the Dolphin
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Unfiltered Dreams: In Periods of Trance
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Unfiltered Dreams: Why I Left St. Louis Soliloquy
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Unfiltered Dreams: Power Dancer
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Soweto 1976: A Suite in Five Voices, Part I: The Orator
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Soweto 1976: A Suite in Five Voices, Part II: What Are They Waiting for Me to Tell Them?
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Soweto 1976: A Suite in Five Voices, Part III: The Hipster
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Soweto 1976: A Suite in Five Voices, Part IV: The Preacher
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Soweto 1976: A Suite in Five Voices, Part V: Carnival Barker
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Solo Soprano Saxophone with “Bells” recording
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K.C. Line
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Testament #5
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Song Suite: At Harmony
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Song Suite: Sixty/Sixty
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Song Suite: Astrid
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Song Suite: Mailika
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Song Suite: Pull It
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Song Suite: Rites
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Pigskin
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For Billie (for Billie Holiday)
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One/Waltz/Time+
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Mirrors
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Dung
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Julius Hemphill band introduction #2
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Would Boogie
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