Jazz Articles about Eric Dolphy

Eric Dolphy: Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

by AAJ Staff
November 18, 2003

Hitting play on a reissue can be like stepping into a time capsule. In this case all the more so because the sound quality is Jurassic, but even despite incredible distortion and difficult resolution there's always room for more Dolphy on the shelf. Top-notch material here, displaying the same buoyant sense of adventure and unerring swing that made him a singular voice.

1961 was the young musician's second year on record as a leader and one of his ...

Eric Dolphy: Far Cry

by David Rickert
November 11, 2002

In the early sixties, Eric Dolphy was one of the young rebels responsible for moving jazz forward in giant strides, advancements that led some to call his music “anti-jazz”. Although not quite as deliberately bizarre as Out to Lunch, Far Cry is still exactly that: a far cry from what virtually everyone considered jazz to be. On this session Dolphy is joined by two like-minded weirdos in Little and Byard, as well as an able rhythm section in Carter and ...

Eric Dolphy: Far Cry (Remastered)

by C. Michael Bailey
October 2, 2002

Where have you gone, Eric Dolphy...

During his short life, Eric Dolphy was a tireless student of music. His elaborate classical training prepared his fertile mind with all of the background necessary to become essentially the anti-Vincent Van Gogh of jazz. While certainly appreciated as a musician during his lifetime, Dolphy’s appetite for innovation (even within the confines of an established musical structure) limited his job opportunities. Decried by neoconservatives as being too free and the jazz freedom fighters as ...

Eric Dolphy: The Illinois Concert

by John Sharpe
December 1, 1999

Eric Dolphy is now recognized as an innovative genius, but in the ’60s he was ignored by the public and derided by critics and many of his peers. Originally influenced by Charlie Parker, Dolphy was a master alto saxophonist/flautist and was one of a handful of musicians who utilized the bass clarinet in a jazz setting. The Illinois Concert was taped at the University of Illinois in 1963 and represents a major addition to the Dolphy discography. The rhythm section, ...

Eric Dolphy: Outward Bound

by Douglas Payne
November 1, 1999

Multi-talented reed player Eric Dolphy (1928-64) makes his 1960 debut stand out for many reasons. It is foremost an ardently passionate gathering with pristine contributions from some of jazz's most flexible avatars - trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist George Tucker and drummer Roy Haynes. Then, of course, there is Dolphy himself: all wonder and myth, a firebrand of energy and effervescence. His gifts were abundant, his talent seemed limitless and he contributed plentifully to the jazz dialog. Outward ...