Was die Kunst der musikalischen Improvisation betrifft, so gehörte Eric Dolphy zu den Mutigsten, leidenschaftlichsten und spieltechnisch Besten, die in den 60er Jahren zu musikalischer Reife gelangten. Angefangen mit seinem Durchbruch zusammen mit Chico Hamilton und Charles Mingus, über die richtungsweisende Zeit seiner Zusammenarbeit mit John Coltrane, bis hin zu seinen brillanten Soloaufnahmen für das Prestige-Label faßte dieser innovative Blättchenbläser das Beste aus den Traditionen des Swing und Bebop zusammen -- von Benny Carter bis hin zu Bird. Monks Freiheitsbegriff hinsichtlich Rhythmus, Melodie und Harmonien legte er dabei noch großzügiger aus. Dolphy, dieser Hexenmeister der Gefühle, besaß einen ausgeprägten Hang zur Komik. Erkennbar wird er im rhythmischen, trunkenen Schaukeln des Themas bei "Straight Up and Down". Monks Einfluß wird in Dolphys cleveren Dissonanzen und betont gespielten Blues-Sätzen bei "Out to Lunch" deutlich (seiner einzigen Aufnahme unter dem Blue-Note-Label, vollendet kurz vor seinem viel zu frühen Tod). Richard Davis, Bobby Hutcherson und Tony Williams sind Meister des Rhythmus. Als solche halten sie die Zeit nach Belieben an, machen sich den so entstehenden Raum zu eigen, demontieren Harmonien durch das Aufsetzen kubistischer Rhythmusverschiebungen. Sie versammeln sich um Freddie Hubbards brummelnde Trompete und um Dolphys melodietragende Bassklarinette (so in dem im Stile Monks gehaltenen "Hat and Beard"), um seine wimmernde Altklarinette (in den kampflustigen Parodien auf den Titelsong) und um seine lebendige Querflöte (im lyrischen, swingenden "Gazzelloni"). Out to Lunch ist die am weitesten gehende Umsetzung der Dolphyschen Visionen.
(Chip Stern, Amazon)
Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and its five Dolphy originals -- the jarring Monk tribute "Hat and Beard," the aptly titled "Something Sweet, Something Tender," the weirdly jaunty flute showcase "Gazzelloni," the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of "Straight Up and Down" -- were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom. Much has been written about Dolphy's odd time signatures, wide-interval leaps, and flirtations with atonality. And those preoccupations reach their peak on Out to Lunch, which is less rooted in bop tradition than anything Dolphy had ever done. But that sort of analytical description simply doesn't do justice to the utterly alien effect of the album's jagged soundscapes. Dolphy uses those pet devices for their evocative power and unnerving hints of dementia, not some abstract intellectual exercise. His solos and themes aren't just angular and dissonant -- they're hugely so, with a definite playfulness that becomes more apparent with every listen. The whole ensemble -- trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Tony Williams -- takes full advantage of the freedom Dolphy offers, but special mention has to be made of Hutcherson, who has fully perfected his pianoless accompaniment technique. His creepy, floating chords and quick stabs of dissonance anchor the album's texture, and he punctuates the soloists' lines at the least
expected times, suggesting completely different pulses. Meanwhile, Dolphy's stuttering vocal-like effects and oddly placed pauses often make his bass clarinet lines sound like they're tripping over themselves. Just as the title Out to Lunch suggests, this is music that sounds like nothing so much as a mad gleam in its creator's eyes.
(by Steve Huey, All Music Guide)
Eric Dolphy was a true original with his own distinctive styles on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. His music fell into the "avant-garde" category yet he did not discard chordal improvisation altogether (although the relationship of his notes to the chords was often pretty abstract). While most of the other "free jazz" players sounded very serious in their playing, Dolphy's solos often came across as ecstatic and exuberant. His improvisations utilized very wide intervals, a variety of nonmusical speechlike sounds, and its own logic. Although the alto was his main axe, Dolphy was the first flutist to move beyond bop (influencing James Newton) and he largely introduced the bass clarinet to jazz as a solo instrument. He was also one of the first (after Coleman Hawkins) to record unaccompanied horn solos, preceding Anthony Braxton by five years.
Eric Dolphy first recorded while with Roy Porter & His Orchestra (1948-1950) in Los Angeles, he was in the Army for two years, and he then played in obscurity in L.A. until he joined the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1958. In 1959 he settled in New York and was soon a member of the Charles Mingus Quartet. By 1960 Dolphy was recording regularly as a leader for Prestige and gaining attention for his work with Mingus, but throughout his short career he had difficulty gaining steady work due to his very advanced style. Dolphy recorded quite a bit during 1960-1961, including three albums cut at the Five Spot while with trumpeter Booker Little, Free Jazz with Ornette Coleman, sessions with Max Roach, and some European dates.
Late in 1961 Dolphy was part of the John Coltrane Quintet; their engagement at the Village Vanguard caused conservative critics to try to smear them as playing "anti-jazz" due to the lengthy and very free solos. During 1962-1963 Dolphy played third stream music with Gunther Schuller and Orchestra U.S.A., and gigged all too rarely with his own group. In 1964 he recorded his classic Out to Lunch for Blue Note and traveled to Europe with the Charles Mingus Sextet (which was arguably the bassist's most exciting band, as shown on The Great Concert of Charles Mingus). After he chose to stay in Europe, Dolphy had a few gigs but then died suddenly from a diabetic coma at the age of 36, a major loss.
Virtually all of Eric Dolphy's recordings are in print, including a nine-CD box set of all of his Prestige sessions. In addition, Dolphy can be seen on film with John Coltrane (included on The Coltrane Legacy) and with Mingus from 1964 on a video released by Shanachie.
(by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide)
Out To Lunch! boasts one of Blue Note’s most iconic Reid Miles-designed covers, perfectly mirroring the exploratory nature of Dolphy’s groundbreaking music. A rising star of jazz’s avant-garde scene who could play alto sax, flute and clarinet, LA-born Dolphy recorded this, his only session as a leader for Blue Note, in February 1964, but died before it was released. The album highlights not only Dolphy’s ability as an instrumentalist but his talent as a composer. He’s accompanied by an exciting young band that includes trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson – whose shimmering chords give the music a dreamy feel – and drummer Tony Williams, then just 18. ‘Hat And Beard’, propelled by Richard Davis’ walking bassline, is a quirky tribute to Thelonious Monk that sets the tone for an album that moves beyond the constraints of bebop and into the realm of unfettered free jazz, yet remains tightly focused. Though he recorded for several other labels, this solitary Blue Note offering remains the go-to album in Dolphy’s canon and is one of the undoubted jewels in the label’s crown. Every guide to Blue Note should include it.
(www.udiscovermusic.com)
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