One of Marty Ehrlich's many projects is the Julius Hemphill Sextet,
which performs and records the music of one of Ehrlich's St. Louis mentors
Today, it's a party for Marty, as we celebrate the versatile multi-reedman and composer Marty Ehrlich, who was born on this day in 1955. Though actually born in St. Paul, MN - some references say St. Louis, but that's wrong - Ehrlich was raised in the St. Louis suburb of University City, and as a teenager took part in educational programs and performances sponsored by St. Louis' Black Artists Group.
Ehrlich plays alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet and flute and thus has been compared by some to the great Eric Dolphy, but he's definitely his own man as both a composer and an improviser. He's performed and recorded everything from free improvisation to relatively straight-ahead jazz to modern chamber music with prominent musicians including Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams and many others too numerous to list here. So, to find out more about Ehrlich, visit his Web site, which has a biography, discography and all sorts of other information.
You may also enjoy reading these other brief biographies, these two interviews I found online, this page dedicated to his clarinet playing, and this discography, which has lots of detail but unfortunately stops in 1999. The prolific Ehrlich has put out at least four more discs as a leader since then, as seen in this entry in All Music Guide, and continues to write, perform and record in a variety of instrumental settings.
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