Eric Dolphy

Eric Dolphy (born with Los Angeles the June 20th 1928, died with Berlin the June 29th 1964) is a musician (Alto saxophone, Flute, Clarinette, low Clarinette) of American Jazz .

Biography

Eric Dolphy learns the clarinet at 8 years and the saxophone at 15 years. There begins its career in 1948, by being in orchestras of Be bop like the Roy Porter 'S 17 Beboppers , but starts to be really made know only about 1958, year when he is engaged by the beater Chico Hamilton. Hamilton directs at the time a rather atypical small formation, including guitar and Violoncelle, which plays a rather experimental music. It is together that they will play splendid the Ellington Suite . But of Dolphy the producer will not like the play who will ask for his replacement (This recording was found by a music lover which, by chance, recognized phrased of Dolphy).

In 1959, it joined the Workshop of the double bass player Charlie Mingus where, more still than at Hamilton, Dolphy can devote itself to its musical audacities. In 1960, it records, with the double four-bit byte directed by the saxophonist Ornette Coleman, the album Free jazz , genuine proclamation of the avant-garde of the jazz of the time.

Of 1960 with 1964, one can hear it in a multitude of formations. For example with John Coltrane (like member of the quintet, but also like arranger of the album Africa/Arm ), George Russell, Gil Evans, John Lewis, Oliver Nelson, Booker Little or Andrew Hill.

He also works with holding of the Third stream music (attempt - not always happy - at “fusion” between jazz and traditional) like Gunther Schuller. Eric Dolphy in addition gave courses to the type-setter American Minimaliste Assembles It Young.

He records remarkable albums under his name where, in addition to his qualities of instrumentalist, he proves that he is also an excellent type-setter: Outward Bound (1960), Out There (1960), At The Five Spot (1961), Out To Lunch! (1964), etc

He dies of an heart attack, consecutive with a diabetes, the 36 years age.

To take again the right remark of the critic Jean-Louis Comolli (see article in external bond), Eric Dolphy is in the history of the jazz a “frontier runner”. Indeed, this polyinstrumentist is one of the musicians who made possible the passage of the Be bop to the Free jazz by breaking the framework of the “tonal solo” and while definitively turning the back on the “beautiful sound”.

George Lane

George Lane, credited with the flute and the saxophone on the album with John Coltrane Olé Coltrane is actually only one pseudonym behind which Eric Dolphy hides.

Discography

Albums as “a leader”

Outward Bound (1960)
Other Aspects (1960)
Out There (1960)
Caribé (with the Latin Jazz 5) (1960)
Far Cry (with Booker Little) (1960)
Tenderly (1960)
Eclipse
At The Five Spot - vol. 1 & 2 (1961)
Sorino (1961)
Memorial Album (with Booker Little) (1961)
Immortal Concerts (with Booker Little) (1961)
Berlin Concerts (1961)
In Europe - vol. 1,2 & 3 (1961)
The Complete Uppsala Concert
The Stockholm Sessions (1961)
Live In Germany
Iron Man (1963)
Music Matador (1963)
Alone Together (1963)
Conversations (1963)
Softly As In has Morning Sunrise (1963)
Out To Lunch! (1964)
Miss Ann (1964)
Last Dates (1964)
Last Recordings (1964)

Collaborations

Chico Hamilton: East Gongs! ; Chico Hamilton Quintet featuring Eric Dolphy
Charles Mingus: Mingus Revisited ; Mingus At Antibes ; Charles Mingus present Charles Mingus ; Mysterious Blues (1960); Original Faubus Fables ; The Supplements Town Hall Concert ; Goodbye Pork Black and white Hat ; Live in Oslo 1964 ; Meditations one Integration ; Live in Copenhagen ; The Great Concert, Paris 1964 ; In Europe
Oliver Nelson: Screamin' the Blues ; The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961); Straight Ahead (1961)
Ken McIntyre: Looking Ahead
John Lewis: The Wonderful World off Jazz ; Gasoline
Eddie " Lockjaw" Davis: Trane Whistle (1960)
Newport Rebels: Newport Rebels
Ornette Coleman : Free Jazz
Abbey Lincoln: Straight Ahead
Booker Little : Out Face
Ted Curson: Plenty off Horn
George Russell: Ezz-thetics
John Coltrane: Africa/Arm ; Olé (1961); Live At the Village Vanguard (1961); Impressions; The Supplements Paris Concerts ; European Impressions; Live At Birdland ; One Training course 1962
Ron Casing: Where?
Badly Waldron: The Quest (1961)
max Roach: Percussion Bitter Sweet
Gil Evans: The Individualism off Gil Evans
Andrew Hill: Point off Departure
The Sextet off Orchestrated the USA: Theater Music off Kurt Weill

DVD

Eric Dolphy In Europe 1961-1964 (Improjazz/Socadisc). In a DVD, the catalog of films (quasi) supplements of Eric Dolphy.
Eric Dolphy Last Dates (K-films). Documentary with the music extracted from its last album.

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