Profile of Eric Dolphy on Famous Like Me

Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 - June 29, 1964) was a jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. Dolphy was the first important bass clarinet soloist in jazz, and one of the first viable flute soloists in jazz. On early recordings, he occasionally played traditional B-flat soprano clarinet.

Dolphy was educated at Los Angeles City College. He came to prominence in drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet in 1958, and had a particularly fruitful relationship with bassist Charles Mingus, beginning 1959 and continuing intermittently until Dolphy's death from undiagnosed diabetes.

Dolphy recorded or played with such important jazz musicians as John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, Ornette Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Andrew Hill, George Russell, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony Williams. Dolphy had a unique capacity to make his instruments "speak." Charles Mingus considered Dolphy his most talented interpreter and Coltrane described Dolphy as the only horn player he could conceivably play with as an equal in the early 60's (before the free jazz explosion).

Classical music played a large role in Dolphy's early training and remained important to him. Dolphy performed and recorded Edgard Varese's Density 21.5 for solo flute as well as other classical works, and participated heavily in Third Stream efforts.

Dolphy's work is sometimes classified as free jazz, though Dolphy insisted his compositions and solos were grounded in a thorough, if occasionally unorthodox use of harmony. He made several unaccompanied recordings, then a rarity for woodwind instrumentalists.

Dolphy's 1964 Blue Note recording Out to Lunch is often regarded not only as his finest, but also as one of the greatest free jazz recordings.

Dolphy died in Berlin from undiagnosed diabetes on June 29, 1964.

Discography

As a leader:

• Truth (1959)
• Hot & Cool Latin (1959)
• Wherever I Go (1959)
• Status (1960)
• Dash One (1960)
• Outward Bound (1960)
• Here and There (1960)
• Looking Ahead (1960)
• Fire Waltz (1960)
• Other Aspects (1960)
• Out There (1960)
• The Caribe with the Latin Jazz Quintet (1960)
• Candid Dolphy (1960)
• Magic (1960)
• Far Cry (1960)
• Eric Dolphy (1960)
• The Quest (1961)
• The Great Concert of Eric Dolphy [live] (1961)
• Live! at the Five Spot, Vol. 1 (1961)
• Live! at the Five Spot, Vol. 2 (1962)
• Latin Jazz Quintet (1961)
• Berlin Concerts [live] (1962)
• Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 1 [live] (1961)
• Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 2 (1961)
• Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 3 (1961)
• Copenhagen Concert [live] (1961)
• Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (1961)
• Quartet 1961 (1961)
• Vintage Dolphy (1962)
• Conversations (1963)
• Iron Man (1963)
• Jitterbug Waltz (1963)
• The Illinois Concert [live] (1963)
• Out to Lunch (1964)
• Last Date (1964)
• Naima (1964)
• Unrealized Tapes (1964)

Chico Hamilton

• The Original Ellington Suite (1958)

Charles Mingus

• Mingus Revisted [aka Pre-Bird] (1960)
• Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960)
• Mingus at Antibes (1960)
• Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963)
• Town Hall Concert (1964)
• The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (1964)
• Revenge! (1964)

Ornette Coleman

• Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (1960)

Oliver Nelson

• Screamin' the Blues (1960)
• The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961)
• Straight Ahead (1961)

John Coltrane

• Olé Coltrane (1961)
• Africa/Brass (1961)
• Live at the Village Vanguard (1961)
• Impressions (One Track, "India") (1963)

Andrew Hill

• Point of Departure (1964)

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