By Gary Chapin
It’s amazing to me that this is the first string quartet to record a set of
Hemphill compositions. I may be reading too much into his friendship with
Abdul Wadud, but Hemphill’s writing and affinity for cello make this idea
feel natural. Also, instrument-family quartet’s are exactly in his pocket,
if we’re to judge by his tenure with the World Saxophone Quartet.
The quartet—Curtis Stewart, violin, Sam Bardfeld, violin, Stephanie
Griffin, viola, and Tomeka Reid, cello—all bring strong histories of
innovation, performance, composition and improvisation. The opening track,
“Revue” is also the opening track for the World Sax Quartet’s second album,
Revue(1982). It’s a bluesy, riffy piece which gets very infectious
before going off into out solos. It felt like WSQ’s theme, for a while, or
its anthem. The fact that the Hemphill String Quartet programmed it right
up front feels like a declaration of intent—and I support that intent.
Tracks 2 through 4 are Hemphill’s “Mingus Gold” suite, three Mingus tunes
arranged for string quartet, and played by the Daedalus String Quartet.
Their recording can be found on Hemphill’s massive posthumous box set,The
Boyé Multi-National Crusade For Harmony (reviewed
here). At first I wondered about the decision to put Mingus tunes on
what is ostensibly a set of Hemphill compositions, but hearing Hemphill
writing in conversation with Mingus is just as mystical as hearing Hemphill
composing out of whole cloth. Further, the improvisers play extraordinarily
well—as one would expect—and the fact that this is (I think) Hemphill’s
only piece written for string 4tet makes it essential.
The final two tracks—”My First Winter/Touchic” and “Choo Choo”—are also sax
quartet pieces and give this group ample space to shine, especially on the
longer “My First Winter/Touchic.” Overall, this group could stand
arm-in-arm with Hemphill and the WSQ. I very much want them to record more,
and specifically, more Hemphill—if ever a composer deserved it, ‘tis him.
Five stars.