The World Saxophone Quartet is a jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 ensemble founded in 1977, implementing elements of free funk

Free funk

Free funk is a term that Allmusic and writer Scott Yanow use to describe a combination of avant-garde jazz with funk music that developed in the 1970s. Leaders of the genre include Ornette Coleman and his Prime Time group, Ronald Shannon Jackson and his group Decoding Society, Jamaaladeen Tacuma...

 and African jazz

South African jazz

South African jazz is the jazz music of South Africa, also often mistakenly called "African jazz".-History:As in the United States, South African jazz was strongly influenced by the music styles of the black population. That said influences from the US led to its formation...

 into their musical routines.

History

The original members were Julius Hemphill

Julius Hemphill

Julius Arthur Hemphill was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone; less often soprano and tenor saxophones and flute.-Biography:...

 (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), Oliver Lake

Oliver Lake

Oliver Lake is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and poet. He is known mainly on alto saxophone but also performs on soprano saxophone and flute....

 (alto and soprano saxophone), Hamiet Bluiett

Hamiet Bluiett

Hamiet Bluiett is an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument is the baritone saxophone, and he is considered one of the finest living players of this instrument...

 (baritone saxophone, alto clarinet), and David Murray

David Murray (jazz musician)

David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...

 (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet). The first three had worked together as members of the Black Artists' Group in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

.

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.

W.S.Q.

-Track listing:# "Sundance" - 2:38# "Plainsong" - 4:19# "Connections" - 8:06# "W.S.Q." - 5:15# "Pillars Latino" - 5:19# "Suite Music: The Key/Ballad for Eddie Jefferson/Pam-Maw/Hattie Wall" - 5:24...

, Live in Zurich

Live in Zurich

-Track listing:# "Hattie Wall" - 1:40# "Funny Paper" - 4:45# "Touchic" - 5:21# "My First Winter" - 6:54# "Bordertown" - 7:30# "Steppin'" - 7:15# "Stick" - 5:18...

, Dances and Ballads

Dances and Ballads

-Track listing:# "Sweet D" - 6:35# "For Lester" - 4:20# "Belly Up" - 6:44# "Cool Red" - 5:12# "Hattie Wall" - 4:04# "Adjacent" - 4:49# "West African Snap" - 3:41...

and Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf (WSQ album)

-Track listing:# "Intro" - 1:05# "The Crossing" - 12:39# "Intro" - 2:07# "Li'l Poki" - 15:23# "Intro" - 0:27# "Sunrise " - 9:14# "Giant Steps" - 3:15# "Intro" - 0:13# "Color for Duke" - 8:34...

) 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

String quartet

A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...

), but were also joined occasionally by drummers, bassists, and other musicians.

Discography

Title		Year		Label
Point of No Return Point of No Return (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Dar el Sudan" - 2:48# "Bajou Scetches" - 10:13# "Point of No Return" - 10:32# "Sacred Sheetless" - 24:26# "Hymn for the Old Year" - 3:38-Personnel:*Hamiet Bluiett — baritone saxophone...		1977		Moers Music
Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet -Track listing:# "Steppin'" - 9:06# "Ra-Ta-Ta" - 5:26# "Dream Scheme" - 7:18# "P.O. in Cairo" - 10:47# "Hearts" - 3:01# "R&B" - 8:39-Personnel:*Hamiet Bluiett — baritone saxophone...		1979		Black Saint Black Saint/Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian jazz independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz.-History:...
W.S.Q. W.S.Q. -Track listing:# "Sundance" - 2:38# "Plainsong" - 4:19# "Connections" - 8:06# "W.S.Q." - 5:15# "Pillars Latino" - 5:19# "Suite Music: The Key/Ballad for Eddie Jefferson/Pam-Maw/Hattie Wall" - 5:24...		1981		Black Saint
Revue Revue (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Revue" - 8:00# "Affairs of the Heart" - 5:40# "Slide" - 3:41# "Little Samba" - 5:26# "I Heard That" - 3:23# "Hymn for the Old Year" - 4:24# "Ming" - 4:21...		1982		Black Saint
Live in Zurich Live in Zurich -Track listing:# "Hattie Wall" - 1:40# "Funny Paper" - 4:45# "Touchic" - 5:21# "My First Winter" - 6:54# "Bordertown" - 7:30# "Steppin'" - 7:15# "Stick" - 5:18...		1984		Black Saint
Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music -Track listing:# "One/Waltz/Time" - 3:51# "Great Peace" - 14:58# "Kinda' Up" - 3:50# "Paper Works" - 8:07# "Open Air " - 10:14# "Georgia Blue" - 6:35-Personnel:...		1986		Black Saint
Plays Duke Ellington Plays Duke Ellington Plays Duke Ellington was the seventh album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet, released in 1986.The album marked a departure for the quartet, in that their first six albums had been of music written by the four musicians themselves; this was their first venture into jazz standards.-Track...		1986		Elektra Elektra Records Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....  / Nonesuch Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
Dances and Ballads Dances and Ballads -Track listing:# "Sweet D" - 6:35# "For Lester" - 4:20# "Belly Up" - 6:44# "Cool Red" - 5:12# "Hattie Wall" - 4:04# "Adjacent" - 4:49# "West African Snap" - 3:41...		1987		Elektra / Nonesuch
Rhythm and Blues Rhythm and Blues (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "For the Love of Money" - 4:13# "Let's Get It On" - 5:33# "I Heard That" - 4:48# "Loopology" - 3:09# " The Dock of the Bay" - 4:30...		1989		Elektra / Nonesuch
Metamorphosis Metamorphosis (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Holy Men" - 2:48# "Lullaby" - 4:51# "Metamorphosis" - 3:28# "Su Mama Ah Zumu" - 6:25# "Africa" - 8:54# "Ballad For The Blackman" - 7:52# "Masai Warrior's Dance" - 5:14...		1991		Elektra / Nonesuch
Moving Right Along Moving Right Along -Track listing:# "Antithesis" - 7:11# "Baba 2" - 4:34# "N.T." - 4:10# "Astral Travels" - 1:15# "Land of Mystery" - 4:24# "Movin' On" - 6:15# "Amazing Grace, Pt...		1993		Black Saint
Breath of Life Breath of Life (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Jest a Little" - 9:14# "Cairo Blues" - 1:11# "Suffering with the Blues" - 5:39# "You Don't Know Me" - 6:35# "Picasso" - 5:52...		1994		Elektra / Nonesuch
Four Now Four Now Four Now is the thirteenth album by the jazz group the World Saxophone Quartet and their first on the Canadian Justin Time label. The album features performances by Hamiet Bluiett, John Purcell, Oliver Lake and David Murray, with guests Chief Bey, Mor Thiam, and Mar Gueye on African drums.-Track...		1996		Justin Time
Takin' It 2 the Next Level Takin' It 2 the Next Level -Track listing:# "Wiring" - 6:28# "Soft Landing" - 1:11# "Rio" - 7:30# "The Peace Before" - 1:23# "Blues for a Warrior Spirit" - 13:08# "The Desegregation of Our Children" - 12:35...		1996		Justin Time
Selim Sivad: a Tribute to Miles Davis Selim Sivad: a Tribute to Miles Davis -Track listing:# "Seven Steps To Heaven" - 6:12# "Selim" - 7:30# "Freddie Freeloader" - 6:48# "The Road To Nefertiti" - 9:59# "Tutu" - 6:52# "Blue in Green" - 5:31# "All Blues" - 9:50-Personnel:...		1998		Justin Time
Requiem for Julius Requiem for Julius -Track listing:# "Ebony" - 7:45# "Free and Independent Thought" - 3:01# "All Praise" - 5:57# "Requiem for Julius" - 6:46# "Le Sport Suite" - 7:50# "Hurricane Floyd" - 10:46# "Potato Vamp" - 3:42...		2000		Justin Time
25th Anniversary: The New Chapter 25th Anniversary: The New Chapter -Track listing:-Personnel:*Hamiet Bluiett — baritone saxophone*John Purcell — alto saxophone*Oliver Lake — alto saxophone*David Murray — tenor saxophone...		2001		Justin Time
Steppenwolf Steppenwolf (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Intro" - 1:05# "The Crossing" - 12:39# "Intro" - 2:07# "Li'l Poki" - 15:23# "Intro" - 0:27# "Sunrise " - 9:14# "Giant Steps" - 3:15# "Intro" - 0:13# "Color for Duke" - 8:34...		2002		Justin Time
Experience Experience (WSQ album) -Track listing:# "Freedom" - 7:14# "If 6 Was 9" - 5:20# "Hey Joe" - 7:10# "Machine Gun" - 8:02# "Little Wing" - 7:34# "Foxy Lady" - 5:29# "Hear My Train a Comin'" - 8:34# "The Wind Cries Mary"- 7:38-Personnel:...		2004		Justin Time
Political Blues Political Blues -Track listing:# "Political Blues" - 9:04# "Hal's Blues" - 2:54# "Mannish Boy" - 7:26# "Let's Have Some Fun" - 7:23# "Amazin' Disgrace" - 5:55# "Bluocracy, Part 1" - 5:03...		2006		Justin Time
Yes We Can		2010		Jazzwerkstatt

External links

• Review of 2009's Yes We Can