Eric Dolphy documentary

joelf · 03-04-2020, 10:06 PM

Just stumbled on this. Always been a fan, especially of his bass clarinet and flute work---compositions, too. He was important, especially as jazz had grown complacent. A virtuoso on all his horns (he's been widely admired, but never copied, to my knowledge); those intervals! And the humor! I love Out To Lunch. Serious and great, yet it cracks me up...

**neatomic** · 03-04-2020, 10:18 PM

dolphys my #1...that bass clarinet!!! whew...and the flute and the horn..like fass said ^...and he always brought out the best in players around him...with chico hamilton...mingus!!...and even coltrane...trane loved him!..they all did

he was unreal..such a short time here tho..sad

he was studied and yet a natural...or rather he was studied and yet sounded completely free and natural..a tough thing to pull off!!!

cheers

joelf · 03-04-2020, 10:19 PM

I remember Andrew White had a mail order business: you ordered transcribed solos. He had done tons of Coltrane, also Dolphy. He was a late Trane devotee and played himself in that style, seriously and quite well. And his gig was, of all things, playing electric bass with the 5th Dimension! In his DB ads (this was in the '70s-earliest '80s) he had a hilarious picture of himself, T-shirt and suspenders, shrugging his shoulders, looking crazed. He described his accomplishments and duties in the ad, ending with 'Janitor; Mail boy'. Cool sense of humor about himself.

The solos were priced at from 17 cents (can't make this stuff up) upward. I ordered a few later Trane and some Dolphy solos. The pages were black with notes...

**neatomic** · 03-04-2020, 10:44 PM

case in point...3rd track off out to lunch...called gazzelloni...as in italian classical flautist- severino gazzelloni who both inspired and taught dolphy...dolphy had huge ears

as for andrew white...he played with early weather report...sweetnighter-..he played english horn (a tough instrument) and then played electric bass alongside the master bassist miroslav vitous!!!...zawinul liked his funky lines...not a vitous strong point!! classically inspired and improvisiational master that he is

cheers

joelf · 03-04-2020, 11:22 PM

I'm getting Out to Lunch and Iron Man soon. LPs. Got a stereo now.

'Life is good''---'Jaws', the killer, after he gets permission from Nurse Diesel to kill Dr. Thorndike, High Anxiety---1977...

**vintagelove** · 03-04-2020, 11:33 PM

In my top 5 for sure. He absolutely changed my playing. Thanks for posting.

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-05-2020, 02:42 AM

An inspiration, to say the least. He and Coltrane used to send Albert Ayler money when he was starving, they thought his playing was so pure, and envied him.

**arielcee** · 03-05-2020, 02:47 AM

Eric Dolphy. The real deal. I think he really was a next logical step after Bird and built upon him but without copying.

**princeplanet** · 03-05-2020, 09:24 AM

When Don Byas was cutting it up in the early 40's, he was considered "the end", then Bird came along, then Sonny, Trane, Ornette...

But when Dolphy came up, lots of people thought he was "the end". Now, almost 50 years later, lots of people still do ...

**mr. beaumont** · 03-05-2020, 05:05 PM

I don't even know where to start with Dolphy...his music is just...it's EVERYTHING. I believe all accounts I hear of him being a beautiful soul, because you sure hear it in the music.

**neatomic** · 03-05-2020, 05:38 PM

dolphy with mingus...one of the great quartets...the interplay/conversation they have is outstanding!! mingus was another who really loved dolphy...

mingus had the idea to record it in the studio (nola penthouse sound studio nyc...which was a beautiful studio! loved by many a jazzer) like it was a live date...hence the preamble...

opening track from charles mingus presents charles mingus- folk forms no.1

mingus, dolphy on alto and bass clarinet, ted curson on trumpet and mingus' steady drummer-the great dannie richmond...1960

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-06-2020, 02:58 AM

Is it any wonder that someone like Frank paid tribute to one of his big influences? Perfect. I think Eric taught him to love marimba/vibes.

joelf · 03-06-2020, 09:47 PM

Eric and McCoy, who've joined the ancestors:

**A. Kingstone** · 03-06-2020, 10:23 PM

Joel; thank you!

On my drummer buddies advice in the late 70's I listened to Zappa who hipped me to Dolphy who was a staring point at Sam's wall of jazz records.

This week I moved all my Eric (100 files or so) to my miniature listening machine.

Thanks so much for my Dolphy reminder.

Alan

**neatomic** · 03-06-2020, 11:19 PM

whilst fz was no doubt familiar with out to lunch...(and maybe his band members- the underwoods & don preston, even moreso) & the great bobby hutchersons immortal vibe work!...fz's main percussive mentor always was edgard varese...zappa always claimed the first lp he ever bought was edgard varese!!...varese used percussion much the same way zappa tried....varese was also huge influence on later day charlie parker...bird wanted to study with him..as varese was living in downtown nyc..a wwII era emigre

it all ties together...keep diggin'

cheers

**neatomic** · 03-06-2020, 11:39 PM

this is the one that got me into all things dolphy...way back when

with trane & mccoy (rip) -india- live 1961 @ the nyc village vanguard...trane tearin it up on soprano...(he ain't no bechet!! much as i dig bechet!!)

this is track that rock group the byrds after their big mr tambourine man dylan cover hit, toured the usa in a van playing over and over..the result being their 8 miles high record!!...which "borrows" the exact riff

as great as trane is on soprano...makin it sound like an indian instrument- the shenai..when dolphy cuts in on bass clarinet... he blows it out of the park....the vanguard patrons must have been stunned

and mccoy reiterating the theme in background!! genius all around!!