World Saxophone Quartet was a highly regarded jazz ensemble formed in New York City in 1976 by baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, alto and soprano players Julius Hemphill and Oliver Lake and tenor David Murray. The group formed out of the Black Artists Group that Bluiett, Hemphill and Lake had established in St. Louis, Missouri in 1968. They became one of the most successful jazz outfits in America in the 1970s and '80s and recorded several albums in their career including 'Revue' (1982), 'Rhythm and Blues' (1989), 'Metamorphosis' (1991), 'Breath of Life' (1994), 'Requiem for Julius' (2000) and 'Political Blues' (2006). Hemphill passed away in 1995 and the band ceased performing when Bluiett became ill in 2016. He died in 2018.
