thumb|391x391px|Hamiet Bluiett, Vision XIII Festival
Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A member of the World Saxophone Quartet, he also played (and recorded with) the bass saxophone, E-flat alto clarinet, E-flat contra-alto clarinet, and wooden flute.
Biography
Bluiett was born just north of East St. Louis in Brooklyn, Illinois (also known as Lovejoy), a predominantly African-American village that had been founded as a free black refuge community in the 1830s, and which later became America's first majority-black town. As a child, he studied piano, trumpet, and clarinet, but was attracted most strongly to the baritone saxophone from the age of ten. He began his musical career by playing the clarinet for barrelhouse dances in Brooklyn, Illinois, before joining the Navy band in 1961.
He remained a champion of the somewhat unwieldy baritone saxophone, organizing large groups of baritone saxophones. In the 1980s, he also founded the Clarinet Family,
Discography
As leader
- 1976: Endangered Species (India Navigation)
- 1977: Bars (Musica)
- 1977: Resolution (Black Saint)
- 1978: Birthright (India Navigation)
- 1979: Im/Possible to Keep (India Navigation)
- 1981: Dangerously Suite (Soul Note)
- 1984: Ebu (Soul Note)
- 1987: The Clarinet Family (Black Saint)
- 1991: If You Have To Ask You Don't Need To Know (Tutu)
- 1993: Nali Kola (Soul Note)
- 1993: Sankofa / Rear Garde (Soul Note)
- 1994: Bearer of the Holy Flame (Black Fire)
- 1995: Young Warrior, Old Warrior (Mapleshade)
- 1996: Bluiett's Barbecue Band (Mapleshade)
- 1997: Live at the Village Vanguard - Ballads & Blues (Soul Note)
- 1997: Makin' Whoopee: Tribute to the King Cole Trio (Mapleshade)
- 1997: Hamiet Bluiett & Concept: Live at Carlos 1 (Justin Time, 1997)
- 1997: Hamiet Bluiett & Concept: Live at Carlos 1: Another Night (Justin Time, 1997)
- 1998: Hamiet Bluiett & Concept: Live at Carlos 1: Last Night (Justin Time, 1998)
- 1998: Bluiett Baritone Saxophone Group Live at the Knitting Factory (Knitting Factory)
- 1998: Bluiett Baritone Nation: Libation for the Baritone Saxophone Nation (Justin Time)
- 1999: Join Us (Justin Time) (with D. D. Jackson and Mor Thiam)
- 2000: With Eyes Wide Open (Justin Time)
- 2001: The Calling with D. D. Jackson and Kahil El'Zabar
- 2002: Blueblack
With the World Saxophone Quartet
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! style="text-align:left; border-bottom:1px solid gray; border-top:1px solid gray;"| Year
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|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Point of No Return
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1977
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Moers
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| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1979
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| W.S.Q.
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1981
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Revue
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1982
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Live in Zurich
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1984
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
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| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1986
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Plays Duke Ellington
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1986
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Elektra / Nonesuch
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Dances and Ballads
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1987
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Elektra / Nonesuch
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Rhythm and Blues
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1989
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Elektra / Nonesuch
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Metamorphosis
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1991
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Elektra / Nonesuch
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Moving Right Along
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1993
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Black Saint
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Breath of Life
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1994
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Elektra / Nonesuch
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Four Now
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1996
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Takin' It 2 the Next Level
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1996
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Selim Sivad: a Tribute to Miles Davis
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1998
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Requiem for Julius
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2000
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 25th Anniversary: The New Chapter
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2001
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Steppenwolf
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2002
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
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| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Experience
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2004
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
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| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Political Blues
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2006
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Justin Time
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| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Yes We Can
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 2010
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Jazzwerkstatt
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As sideman
With The 360 Degree Music Experience
- In: Sanity (Black Saint, 1976)
With Lester Bowie
- The Great Pretender (ECM, 1981)
With Anthony Braxton
- New York, Fall 1974 (Arista, 1974)
With James Carter
- Conversin' with the Elders (Atlantic, 1996)
- Out of Nowhere (Half Note, 2005)
With Andrew Cyrille
- Route de Frères (Tum, 2011)
With Gil Evans
- Live at the Public Theater (New York 1980) (Trio, 1981)
- Bud and Bird (Electric Bird/King, 1986 [1987])
- Farewell (Evidence, 1986 [1992])
With Craig Harris
- F-Stops (Soul Note, 1993)
With Abdullah Ibrahim
- The Journey (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
With Charles Mingus
- Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic, 1974)
With David Murray
- Now Is Another Time (Justin Time, 2003)
With the Music Revelation Ensemble
- In the Name of... (DIW, 1994)
- Knights of Power (DIW, 1996)
With Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-star Orchestra
- Inspiration (BMG France, 1999)
- Culmination (BMG France, 1999)
With Malachi Thompson
- Talking Horns (Delmark, 2001) with Oliver Lake
With Randy Weston and Melba Liston
- Volcano Blues (Verve, 1993)
References
External links
- "A Fireside Chat With Hamiet Bluiett" by Fred Jung, from Jazz Weekly site
- Audio Recordings of WCUW Jazz Festivals - Jazz History Database