ERIC DOLPHY

Deluxe tribute to game-changing jazz maverick.

It’s little wonder that Eric Dolphy, who died in 1964 at the tragically young age of 36, was loved and admired by musicians such as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin and King Crimson’s Ian Wallace and Ian McDonald. They all perhaps recognised something of themselves in Dolphy’s uncompromising approach, identifying with his wild, fearless spirit. Probably best-known for his posthumously released 1964 Blue Note album, Out To Lunch!, Dolphy was always keen to push beyond expectations and it’s this quality which makes his work so fresh and engrossing. His vexatious rallies between alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet revelled in cartwheeling phrases and shrill exclamatory leaps that shook up those around him, including several of the big beasts in the jazz jungle such as Coltrane and Mingus. Herbie Hancock notes: “Playing with Eric pried open my brain as to what was possible in jazz.”

This three-CD set presents Dolphy’s 1963 albums, Conversations and Iron Man with bonus material and another disc of previously unreleased performances. Displaying Dolphy’s omnivorous appetite, a lot of ground is covered including the bright and tuneful through to intensely terse and discursive workouts. The bass clarinet duets with bassist Richard Davis burn with a scorching passion, while A Personal Statement, aka as Jim Crow, remains a challenging, harrowing listen 56 years on. Unsurprisingly Dolphy was keen to leave behind the racial discrimination experienced in his native USA. Not especially favoured by the musical establishment in his lifetime, in the comprehensive 96-page booklet he explains his intention to relocate to Europe: “I can get more work there playing my music, and because if you try to do anything different in this country, people put you down for it.” Though silenced by his untimely death, this set proves how challenging, invigorating and provocative in outlook his music continues to be.