Biography

Hamiet Bluiett (1940-2018) grew up in Brooklyn, Illinois, the first town in the United States incorporated by Black Americans. He started music at an early age, first on piano, then on clarinet. Inspired by Harry Carney, Bluiett took up the baritone saxophone while in college. After moving to St. Louis in 1966, he met saxophonists Oliver Lake and Juluis Hemphill, with whom Bluiett would later form the World Saxophone Quartet. In 1968, they founded the Black Artists Group, which promoted the Black Arts Movement. Through this organization, Bluiett organized concerts and public programs, and mentored developing musicians. Bluiett later moved to New York, where he joined saxophonist Sam Rivers’ orchestra. In 1976, Bluiett formed the World Saxophone Quartet alongside Lake, Hemphill, and David Murray. The group built on the innovations of pioneers like Anthony Braxton, but incorporated heavy swing, gospel and blues elements. The group also drew on African musical tradition, and often featured reinterpretations of jazz standards on their projects. Though the group experimented with harsh sounds and the avant-garde, Bluiett valued keeping the music tame enough to attract audiences.