Raw Materials and Residuals

Julius Hemphill came to New York from St. Louis, where he’d co-founded the Black Artists Group (BAG) in the late ’60s. His stark, post-Ornette Coleman alto saxophone style and ambitious compositional palette made him an immediate standout on the loft jazz scene. This invigorating 1978 album features his longtime creative foil, cellist Abdul Wadud, and Art Ensemble of Chicago drummer Don Moye strutting, squalling and storming through five pieces that throw bebop, free jazz, and the deep blues against the wall until they all stick to each other.