Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
alto saxophonistThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by the Belgian instrument designer in 1841 Adolphe Sax. The alto, with the tenor, is the most common size of saxophone...
, flautist, and
bass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet. Bass clarinets in other keys, notably C and A, also exist, but are very rare...
ist. Dolphy was one of several groundbreaking jazz
altoThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by the Belgian instrument designer in 1841 Adolphe Sax. The alto, with the tenor, is the most common size of saxophone...
players to rise to prominence in the 1960s. He was also the first important bass clarinet soloist in jazz, and among the earliest significant flute soloists. His improvisational style was characterized by the use of wide intervals based largely on the twelve tone scale, in addition to using an array of
extended techniqueExtended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox or "improper" techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments....
s to reproduce human- and animal-like effects which almost literally made his instruments speak. Although Dolphy's work is sometimes classified as
free jazzFree jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s.Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, his compositions and solos had a logic uncharacteristic of many other free jazz musicians of the day; even as such, he was considered an
avant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
improviser.
Early life
Dolphy was born in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
and was educated at
Los Angeles City CollegeLos Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
. He performed locally for several years, most notably as a member of
bebopBebop or bop is a style of jazz characterized by fast tempo, instrumental virtuosity and improvisation based on the combination of harmonic structure and melody. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s...
big bands led by
Gerald WilsonGerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
and Roy Porter. On early recordings, he occasionally played
soprano clarinetThe soprano clarinets are a sub-family of the clarinet family. They include the most common types of clarinets, and indeed are often referred to as simply "clarinets"....
and
baritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the larger and lower pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax...
, as well as his main instrument, the alto saxophone. Dolphy finally had his big break as a member of
Chico Hamilton'sChico Hamilton is a jazz drummer and band leader.-Early life through 1960s:...
quintet. With the group he became known to a wider audience and was able to tour extensively through 1959, when he parted ways with Hamilton and moved to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
.
Early partnerships
John ColtraneJohn William "Trane" Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
had gained an audience and critical notice with
Miles DavisMiles Davis III was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music including cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz...
's quintet. Although Coltrane's quintets with Dolphy (including the
Village VanguardThe Village Vanguard is a jazz club in Greenwich Village in New York City on 7th Avenue South. The club opened on February 22, 1935 by Max Gordon...
and
Africa/Brass sessions) are now legendary, they provoked
Down BeatDown Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine to brand Coltrane and Dolphy's music as 'anti-jazz'. Coltrane later said of this criticism: "they made it appear that we didn't even know the first thing about music (...) it hurt me to see [Dolphy] get hurt in this thing."
The initial release of Coltrane's stay at the Vanguard selected three tracks, only one of which featured Dolphy. After being issued haphazardly over the next 30 years, a comprehensive box set featuring all of the recorded music from the Vanguard was released by
Impulse!Impulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s first signings and thanks to the consistent sales and critical kudos generated by his...
in 1997.
The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings carried over 15 tracks featuring Dolphy on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, adding a new dimension to these already classic recordings. A later
PabloPablo Records was a record label founded by Norman Granz in 1973, some ten years after he had sold his jazz labels to MGM Records....
box set from Coltrane's European tours of the early 1960s collected more recordings with Dolphy for the buying public.
During this period, Dolphy also played in a number of challenging settings, notably in key recordings by
Ornette ColemanOrnette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
(
Free Jazz: A Collective ImprovisationFree Jazz: A Collective Improvisation is an album by jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, recorded in 1960. The original release embodied a painting by Jackson Pollock, on the front of the cover, and its title gave the name for the whole movement...
), arranger
Oliver NelsonOliver Edward Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.-Early life and career:...
(
The Blues and the Abstract TruthThe Blues and the Abstract Truth is a jazz album by Oliver Nelson recorded in February 1961. It remains Nelson's most acclaimed album. It features a lineup of notable musicians: Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy , Bill Evans , Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes...
and
Straight Ahead) and George Russell (
Ezz-theticsEzz-thetics is an album by a sextet led by the jazz composer and music theorist George Russell. It features a re-reading of Russell's title composition and a radical reworking of Thelonious Monk's standard Round Midnight with an extended solo by Eric Dolphy. The title song, "Ezzthetic", was...
), but also with
Gunther SchullerGunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
,
Max RoachMaxwell Lemuel Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history...
and
Abbey LincolnAbbey Lincoln is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln is unusual in that she writes and performs her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences....
, multi-instrumentalist
Ken McIntyreMakanda Ken McIntyre was an American jazz musician and composer.-Biography:McIntyre was born in Boston, Massachusetts...
, and bassist
Ron CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His unique sound has made him a long sought after studio man. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist...
among others.
As a leader
Dolphy's recording career as a leader began with the
PrestigePrestige Records was founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The label's name was initially New Jazz, but changed to Prestige Records the next year. Its catalog contains a significant number of jazz classics, including renowned works by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and many...
label. His association with the label spanned across 13 albums recorded from April 1960 to September 1961, though he was not the leader for all of the sessions.
PrestigePrestige Records was founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The label's name was initially New Jazz, but changed to Prestige Records the next year. Its catalog contains a significant number of jazz classics, including renowned works by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and many...
eventually released a 9-CD box set containing all of Dolphy's recorded output for the label.
Dolphy's first two albums as leader were
Outward BoundOutward Bound is a jazz album by Eric Dolphy, released in 1960. It was his first album as leader, and is considerably less adventurous and more standardly beboppish than his later recordings, though there are unorthodox elements that point to what was to come...
and
Out ThereOut There is a 1960 jazz album by Eric Dolphy. It was Dolphy's second album released as band leader, following his time with Charles Mingus. The album features four original compositions by Dolphy, one of which is a collaborative effort with Mingus...
. The first, more accessible and rooted in the style of bop than some later releases, was recorded at
Rudy Van GelderRudy Van Gelder is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz.Frequently regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder is one of the legendary behind-the-scenes figures in jazz, recording several hundred jazz sessions, including many widely...
's studio in New Jersey with hard-bop trumpeter
Freddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 60s and on...
. However the album still offered up challenging performances, which at least partly accounts for the record label's choice to include "out" in the title.
Out There is closer to the
third streamThird stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller, within a lecture at Brandeis University, to describe a musical genre which is a synthesis of classical music and jazz...
music which would also form part of Dolphy's legacy, and reminiscent also of the instrumentation of the Hamilton group with
Ron CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His unique sound has made him a long sought after studio man. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist...
on cello and Dolphy on bass clarinet, clarinet and flute as well as saxophones.
Far Cry was also recorded for Prestige in 1960 and represented his first pairing with another important partnership, trumpeter
Booker LittleBooker Little, Jr was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz...
, a like-minded spirit with whom he would go on to make a set of legendary live recordings at the
Five SpotThe Five Spot Cafe was located in New York City at the corner of Cooper Square and St. Mark's Place. The Five Spot had originally been somewhat further downtown at 5 Cooper Square, between Third and Fourth Streets when it first started presenting jazz. It was a very small place, where in the...
in New York before Little's death at the age of 23.
Dolphy would record several unaccompanied cuts on saxophone, which at the time had been done only by
Coleman HawkinsColeman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was the first important jazz musician to use the instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
and
Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians of the post-bebop era, Rollins' long, prolific career began at the age of 11, and he was playing with piano legend Thelonious Monk before reaching...
before him. The album
Far Cry contains one of his more memorable performances on the Gross-Lawrence standard "Tenderly" on alto saxophone, but it was his subsequent tour of Europe that quickly set high standards for solo performance with his exhilarating bass clarinet renditions of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child". Numerous recordings were made of live performances by Dolphy on this tour, in Copenhagen, Uppsala and other cities, and these have been issued by many sometimes dubious record labels, drifting in and out of print ever since.
20th century classical music20th-century classical music developed or reacted to the trends started in the previous century. At the turn of the century, music was characteristically late Romantic in style, while at the same time the Impressionist movement, spearheaded by Claude Debussy, was being developed in France...
also played a significant role in Dolphy's musical career. He performed
Edgard VarèseEdgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse , was an innovative French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States....
's
Density 21.5Density 21.5 is a piece of music for solo flute written by Edgard Varèse in 1936 and revised in 1946. The piece was composed at the request of Georges Barrère for the premiere of his platinum flute, the density of platinum being close to 21.5 grammes per cubic centimetre .Allmusic's Sean Hickey...
for solo flute at the
Ojai Music FestivalThe Ojai Music Festival is an annual classical music festival in the United States. Held in Ojai, California for four days every June, the festival presents music, symposia, and educational programs emphasizing adventurous, eclectic, and challenging music, by both contemporary composers and the...
in 1962 and participated in
Gunther SchullerGunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
's
Third StreamThird stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller, within a lecture at Brandeis University, to describe a musical genre which is a synthesis of classical music and jazz...
efforts of the 1960s.
In July 1963, Dolphy and producer Alan Douglas arranged recording sessions for which his sidemen were among the leading emerging musicians of the day. The results were his
Iron Man and
Conversations LPs. Around this time Dolphy's pianist was occasionally the young
Herbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz...
, this group was recorded at the
Illinois Concert and others.
In 1964, Dolphy signed with
Blue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues...
and recorded
Out to Lunch! with
Freddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 60s and on...
,
Bobby HutchersonBobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern. Hutcherson has influenced younger vibraphonists like Steve Nelson, Joe...
,
Richard DavisRichard Davis is an American double bass player who has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison since 1977. Originally from Chicago, he first became known in that city before establishing himself in New York City for twenty-three years...
and
Tony WilliamsAnthony Tillmon "Tony" Williams was an American jazz drummer.Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential jazz drummers to come to prominence in the 1960s, Williams first gained fame in the band of trumpeter Miles Davis, and was a pioneer of jazz fusion...
. This album was deeply rooted in the avant garde, and Dolphy's solos are as dissonant and unpredictable as anything he ever recorded.
Out to Lunch, his last major studio recording, is often regarded not only as Dolphy's finest album, but also as one of the greatest jazz recordings ever made.
Final months
After
Out to Lunch! and an appearance as a sideman on
Andrew Hill'sAndrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important progenitors of Free jazz piano, though he is considered more mainstream jazz than Cecil Taylor, two years his senior.The body of work he is most lauded for was recorded for Blue Note Records,...
Point of Departure, Dolphy left to tour Europe with Charles Mingus' sextet in early 1964. From there he intended to settle in Europe with his fiancée, who was working on the ballet scene in Paris. The Mingus band for this tour is recorded on the
Cornell 1964 album and is one of Mingus' strongest line-ups, including Dolphy and pianist
Jaki ByardJaki Byard was an American jazz pianist and composer who also played trumpet and saxophone, among several other instruments. He was noteworthy for his eclectic style, incorporating everything from ragtime and stride to free jazz...
. After leaving Mingus, he performed with and recorded a few sides with various European bands, including the mis-named
Last Date with
Misha MengelbergMisha Mengelberg is a Dutch jazz pianist and composer. He won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1961.Mengelberg was born in Kiev in Ukraine, the son of the conductor Karel Mengelberg, who was himself the nephew of the conductor Willem Mengelberg...
and
Han BenninkHan Bennink is a Dutch jazz drummer, percussionist. He is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, and on occasion his recordings have featured his playing on clarinet, violin, banjo and piano....
, and was preparing to join
Albert AylerAlbert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering...
for a recording.
The liner notes to the Complete Prestige Recordings say that on June 28 1964 Dolphy "collapsed in his hotel room in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
and when brought to the hospital he was diagnosed as being in a
diabetic comaDiabetic coma is a medical emergency in which a person with diabetes mellitus is comatose because of one of the acute complications of diabetes:#Severe diabetic hypoglycemia...
. After being administered a shot of
insulinInsulin is a hormone that has extensive effects on metabolism and other body functions, such as vascular compliance. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stopping use of fat as an energy...
(apparently a type stronger than what was then available in the US) he lapsed into
insulin shockHypoglycemia or hypoglycaemia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally means "under-sweet blood" Hypoglycemia or hypoglycaemia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally...
and died." A later video documentary disputes this, saying Dolphy collapsed on stage in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
and was brought to a hospital. The attending hospital physicians had no idea that Dolphy was a diabetic and thought that he, like so many other jazz musicians, had overdosed on drugs, so he was left in a hospital bed until the drugs had run their course..
Dolphy died on June 29 1964 in a diabetic coma, leaving a short but tremendous legacy in the jazz world. He was quickly honored with his induction into the
Down BeatDown Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine Hall of Fame in 1964. Coltrane paid tribute to Dolphy in an interview: "Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, as a man, a friend, and a musician." Dolphy's mother, Sadie, who had fond memories of her son practicing in the studio by her house, gave instruments that Dolphy had bought in France but never played to Coltrane, who subsequently played the flute and bass clarinet on several albums before his own death in 1967. Dolphy was engaged to be married to Joyce Mordecai, a classically-trained dancer.
Influence
Dolphy's musical presence was hugely influential to a who's who of young jazz musicians who would become legends in their own right. Dolphy worked intermittently with
Ron CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His unique sound has made him a long sought after studio man. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist...
and
Freddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 60s and on...
throughout his career, and in later years he hired
Herbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz...
,
Bobby HutchersonBobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern. Hutcherson has influenced younger vibraphonists like Steve Nelson, Joe...
and
Woody ShawWoody Herman Shaw II was a jazz trumpeter and composer.-Biography:Shaw grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and began his study of music at the age of 11, later attending Newark Arts High School...
at various times to work in his live and studio bands.
Out to Lunch! featured yet another young lion who had just begun working with Dolphy in drummer
Tony WilliamsAnthony Tillmon "Tony" Williams was an American jazz drummer.Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential jazz drummers to come to prominence in the 1960s, Williams first gained fame in the band of trumpeter Miles Davis, and was a pioneer of jazz fusion...
, just as his participation on the
Point of Departure session brought his influence into contact with up and coming tenor man
Joe HendersonJoe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Born in Lima, Ohio, he studied music at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University before playing in Detroit at the beginning of his career.-Early life:...
.
Carter, Hancock and Williams would go on to become one of the quintessential rhythm sections of the decade, both together on their own albums and as the backbone of the second great quintet of
Miles DavisMiles Davis III was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music including cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz...
. This part of the second great quintet is an ironic footnote for Davis, who was not fond of Dolphy's music yet absorbed a rhythm section who had all worked under Dolphy and created a band whose brand of "out" was unsurprisingly very similar to Dolphy's.
In addition, his work with jazz and rock producer Alan Douglas allowed Dolphy's style to posthumously spread to musicians in the
jazz fusionFusion or, more specifically, jazz fusion or jazz rock, is a musical genre that developed in the late 1960s from a mixture of elements of jazz such as its focus on improvisation with the rhythms and grooves of funk and R&B and the beats and heavily amplified electric instruments and electronic...
and Rock environments, most notably with artists
John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English jazz fusion guitarist and composer...
and
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
.
Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
, an eclectic performer who drew some of his inspiration from jazz music, paid tribute to Dolphy's style in the instrumental "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue" (on the 1970 album
Weasels Ripped My FleshWeasels Ripped My Flesh is an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in 1970.Conceptually, the album could be considered Phase Two of Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Both albums consist of previously unreleased Mothers tracks released after the demise of the original band...
).
Dolphy posthumously became an inductee of the
Down Beat Jazz Hall of FameDown Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
in 1964.
As leader
Prestige Records
- Status (1960)
- Dash One (1960)
- Outward Bound
Outward Bound is a jazz album by Eric Dolphy, released in 1960. It was his first album as leader, and is considerably less adventurous and more standardly beboppish than his later recordings, though there are unorthodox elements that point to what was to come...
(1960)
- Here and There (1960)
- Looking Ahead (1960)
- Fire Waltz (1960)
- Out There
Out There is a 1960 jazz album by Eric Dolphy. It was Dolphy's second album released as band leader, following his time with Charles Mingus. The album features four original compositions by Dolphy, one of which is a collaborative effort with Mingus...
(1960)
- The Caribe with the Latin Jazz Quintet (1960)
- Magic (1960)
- Far Cry
Far Cry is a 1960 album by jazz musician Eric Dolphy. This album is one of several Dolphy recordings to feature trumpeter Booker Little. Dolphy and Little were backed by Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. Far Cry was recorded by engineer Rudy Van Gelder.-Track...
(1960)
- Eric Dolphy (1960)
- The Quest (1961)
- The Great Concert of Eric Dolphy [live] (1961)
- Live! at the Five Spot, Vols. 1 & 2
At the Five Spot volumes one and two is a pair of jazz albums documenting one night from the end of Eric Dolphy's two-week residency at the Five Spot in New York. This was the only night to be recorded; the engineer was Rudy Van Gelder...
(1961) with Mal Waldron and Booker Little
- Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vols. 1-3 [live] (1961)
- Copenhagen Concert [live] (1961)
- Quartet 1961 (1961)
- Eric Dolphy Quintet featuring Herbie Hancock: Complete Recordings (1962)
Blue Note
- Other Aspects (1960)
- The Illinois Concert
-Track listing:# "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" – 20:17# "Something Sweet, Something Tender" – 1:28# "God Bless The Child" -Track listing:# "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" (O. Hammerstein, S. Romberg) – 20:17# "Something Sweet, Something Tender" (Dolphy) – 1:28# "God Bless The...
(1963)
- Out to Lunch! (1964)
Other labels
- Hot & Cool Latin
Hot & Cool Latin is an LP released in 1959 by Eric Dolphy. It is the first release by Dolphy as a bandleader. The first eight tracks of the album consist of the final recordings Dolphy made with prior bandleader Chico Hamilton.-Track listing:#"Opening"...
(1959)
- Wherever I Go (1959)
- Candid Dolphy (1960)
- Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (1961)
- Berlin Concerts [live] (1962)
- Vintage Dolphy (1962)
- Iron Man
-Track listing:Side 1:# "Iron Man" – 9:07# "Mandrake" – 13:54# "Come Sunday" – 6:24Side 2:# "Burning Spear" – 11:49# "Ode to C.P." – 8:05All songs composed by Dolphy except as noted.-Personnel:...
(1963)
- Conversations (1963) (also known as Jitterbug Waltz)
- Last Date (1964)
- Naima (1964)
- Unrealized Tapes (1964)
As sideman
With Chico HamiltonChico Hamilton is a jazz drummer and band leader.-Early life through 1960s:...
- Chico Hamilton Quintet with Strings Attached (1958)
- The Original Ellington Suite (1958)
- Gongs East! (1958)
- That Hamilton Man (1959)(also released as Truth)
With Charles MingusCharles Mingus, Jr. was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice....
- Pre-Bird [aka Mingus Revisited] (1960)
- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960)
- Mingus at Antibes (1960)
- Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is a 1963 album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.- Historical Context :...
(1963)
- Town Hall Concert (1964)
- The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (1964)
- Revenge! (1964)
- Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (1964)
With Ornette ColemanOrnette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
- Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation
Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation is an album by jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, recorded in 1960. The original release embodied a painting by Jackson Pollock, on the front of the cover, and its title gave the name for the whole movement...
(1960)
With Oliver NelsonOliver Edward Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.-Early life and career:...
- Screamin' the Blues (1960)
- The Blues and the Abstract Truth
The Blues and the Abstract Truth is a jazz album by Oliver Nelson recorded in February 1961. It remains Nelson's most acclaimed album. It features a lineup of notable musicians: Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy , Bill Evans , Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes...
(1961)
- Straight Ahead (1961)
With John ColtraneJohn William "Trane" Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
- Olé Coltrane
Olé Coltrane is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane. It was released in 1961 by Atlantic Records.- Track listing :Recorded May 25, 1961 in New York City.# "Olé" # "Dahomey Dance" # "Aisha"...
(1961)
- Africa/Brass (1961)
- Live! at the Village Vanguard
Live at the Village Vanguard is a 1961 album by jazz musician John Coltrane. One side of the original LP was devoted to "Chasin' The Trane" which has been described as one of Coltrane's most important performances...
(1961)
- Impressions (One Track, "India") (1963)
With Makanda Ken McIntyreMakanda Ken McIntyre was an American jazz musician and composer.-Biography:McIntyre was born in Boston, Massachusetts...
With Booker LittleBooker Little, Jr was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz...
With George Russell
- Ezz-thetics
Ezz-thetics is an album by a sextet led by the jazz composer and music theorist George Russell. It features a re-reading of Russell's title composition and a radical reworking of Thelonious Monk's standard Round Midnight with an extended solo by Eric Dolphy. The title song, "Ezzthetic", was...
(1961)
With Max RoachMaxwell Lemuel Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history...
- Percussion Bitter Sweet
Percussion Bitter Sweet is a 1961 album by Jazz drummer Max Roach. The album was released on Impulse! Records and was produced by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen.-Tracklisting:All compositions by Max Roach#Garvey's Ghost#Mama#Tender Warriors...
(1961)
With Andrew HillAndrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important progenitors of Free jazz piano, though he is considered more mainstream jazz than Cecil Taylor, two years his senior.The body of work he is most lauded for was recorded for Blue Note Records,...
- Point of Departure (1964)
With John LewisJohn Aaron Lewis was an American jazz pianist and composer best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.- Early life:...
- The Sextet of Orchestra U.S.A. (1964)
- John Lewis Presents Jazz Abstractions (1960)
With Phil Diaz
- The Latin Jazz Quintet (United Artists, 1961)
Further reading
- Vladimir Simosko & Barry Tepperman: Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography and Discography, Da Capo Press, New York, 1979, ISBN 0-306-80107-8
- Guillaume Belhomme: Eric Dolphy, Le mot et le reste, Marseille, 2008, ISBN : 9782915378535
External links