At Dr. King's Table
ASIN: B0000030K5
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Like with Ellington and Basie, the intricacy of the late altoist Julius Hemphill's vision deserves a ghost band. He may not have often fronted a large group as the above legends did, but, like Benny Golson, he had a knack for making four musicians sound like 15, as any World Saxophone Quartet release will show. Marty Ehrlich, a former student of Hemphill's, organized this sextet, which is not unlike (and contains many of the participants on) the Black Saint release, Five Chord Stud. It's nothing but saxophones, which means that, with Hemphill's genre-busting compositions, it's a history of the saxophone, as gutbucket R&B merges with free improv, and classical music dances merge with the blues. The performances are great--Ehrlich, after all, is no poor bandleader himself--but the compositions are key here. One only hopes that these compositions will get more of a workout in the future. --D. Strauss
At Dr. King's Table,Julius Hemphill,New World Records,Avant-Garde Jazz,Experimental Big Band,Jazz,Pop
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At Dr. King's Table
Julius Hemphill Manufacturer: New World Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B0000030K5 Release Date: 1997-10-14 |
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Amazon.com
Like with Ellington and Basie, the intricacy of the late altoist Julius Hemphill's vision deserves a ghost band. He may not have often fronted a large group as the above legends did, but, like Benny Golson, he had a knack for making four musicians sound like 15, as any World Saxophone Quartet release will show. Marty Ehrlich, a former student of Hemphill's, organized this sextet, which is not unlike (and contains many of the participants on) the Black Saint release, Five Chord Stud. It's nothing but saxophones, which means that, with Hemphill's genre-busting compositions, it's a history of the saxophone, as gutbucket R&B merges with free improv, and classical music dances merge with the blues. The performances are great--Ehrlich, after all, is no poor bandleader himself--but the compositions are key here. One only hopes that these compositions will get more of a workout in the future. --D. StraussCustomer Reviews:
Carrying on.......2001-01-11
Two tracks, "Flair" and "The Children's Song: First Vision", are played solely by Marty Ehrlich, overdubbing a variety of flutes and clarinets much in the same way that Hemphill did himself. "Flair" opens with someone (probably Ehrlich) saying "Flair!"; this is something Hemphill did with each of his songs on "Flat-Out Jump Suite". Andrew White, always a solid soloist, contributes a good one to "JiJi Tune"; the whole ensemble gets inspirational on "Sojourner's Blues" and wails on "Bumpkin".
Extensive liner notes provide a wealth of information about Hemphill's compositional styles for his various ensembles. Also provided is a select discography of Hemphill's works, either performed by Hemphill or others. Very recommended.
Marty Ehrlich: alto & soprano sax, flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; Sam Furnace: alto & soprano sax; Andy Laster: alto sax & flute; Gene Ghee: tenor sax; Andrew White: tenor sax; Alex Harding: baritone sax.
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