Search - Eric Dolphy :: Out There

A fine album of free jazz

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 04/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1960 recording constitutes my first exposure to the works of Eric Dolphy and I found the listening experience to be rich. Surprisingly, for a record of "free-jazz" this was not as out there (this was not intentional) as I expected and Eric favors an almost polite approach to what is essentially third stream music.



The lineup on this album includes the late Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, flute, Bb and bass clarinets), Ron Carter (cello), George Duvivier (acoustic bass) and Roy Haynes (drums). This is a fantastic ensemble that is capable of great ensemble work and superb soloing. One unexpected treat was to hear the great bassist Ron Carter on cello - he is a fantastic cellist as well and started out on this instrument in a classical setting. Indeed, along with Eric's astounding abilities on woodwinds (particularly the bass clarinet), the introduction of the cello as a solo instrument adds a textural element that you do not find too often in jazz. With respect to the rhythm section, George not only provides excellent counterpoint, but turns in some great solos on his own and Roy provides a solid foundation.



This album primarily features compositions by Eric, with the exception of Out There which was co-authored with Charles Mingus, and a few covers including Eclipse (Mingus), Sketch of Melba (Randy Weston) and Feathers (Hale Smith). The pieces are in large part, what one might consider "straight" jazz, although the at times, atonal torrents of notes on the woodwinds and the odd sound of a cello in this context lends it a bit of an edge. I have to admit that Ron's cello parts are fascinating and at times it sounds as if he is playing a completely different melody than Eric; with only a few notes used as common points that link the two players. The melody lines are highly angular and at points, seem to on the verge of veering out of control, only to fall back on track in a split second. Odd meters are also used a lot although for the most part, this album "swings" and breathes freely, like a lot of the hard bop that I am familiar with.



This Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc (SA-CD) boasts fantastic sound, although I have yet to make full use of the SACD layers. As played through a set of excellent Bose headphones, there is great separation of individual instruments and both the highs and lows sound natural.



All in all, this is a fantastic recording of fascinating free jazz that showcases the exhilarating talents of Eric Dolphy and is highly recommended."

Audio jazz/poetry for the future. Brilliant.

John W. Shearer | Richmond, Ky. USA | 09/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eric Dolphy is one of those true musical giants that transposed the muusical sound to far into the future. In my opinion when you speak of Miles, Monk, Mingus, Ellington, Coltrane among others, Eric Dolphy should fit into the mix somewhere. A true genius. This record is a milestone for the bop modern jazz/avant garde genre. Miles ahead of the field screaming off into space. The instrumental is very interesting in that it combines the combination of cello (Ron Carter) with bass (George Duvivier) along with Eric on alto sax/B flat and bass clarinets and the ever creative and rock steady Roy Haynes on drums. Everyone's playing is in extreme overdrive/fast forward. The sound is truely incredible and not to be missed my any lover of great modern/bop jazz. A masterwork of pure genius to be sure. The internal structure of the sound is such that it moves and sways into and out of tonal and atonal modes like clockwork. Recorded in 1960 by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder in should be in everyone's musical library. Cataloge this one under (Extreme power fusion/bop/modern jazz with a whole lot of soul). Dynamite. If you could rate one 10 stars this would fit into that groove. Don't miss this one, it's the real deal. Grab it and groove. Let you soul run free."

Beautiful thoughtful engaging music.

Gerrit R. Hatcher | 11/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being cheap, i debated endlessly about picking up this album. I listen to a lot of "out" playing, always love Shepp, and can even enjoy Ayler (on his good days), but for some reason the little sound samples offered here seemed a bit scary (Ron Carter's beautiful but melancholy cello most likely) this is not the case at all. Dolphy's Out There takes a bucketload of Mingus (Eclipse is a tune of his, The Baron is in his honor, and Dolphy's pre-boppish clarinet work immediately brought some of his sessions to mind.), a bunch of Monk (off kilter rhythms and heavy swinging dissonant notes abound), a touch of Bird (mostly the crazy counter intuitive alto lines on the first cut), and puts itself in a place both before and after bop, and both within and outside of the norm. The first half of this album really tears and makes you listen hard, then Dolphy lays off and delivers shimmeringly melodic sounds on Eclipse (a Mingus Piece) and the hauntingly beautiful Sketch of Melba. The rest is what I can only describe as slightly mind-bending bebop, with weird inside-out lines underscored by an unusually beautiful and centered tone for the avant-garde. Dolphy's flute is fantastic (too many sax players just pick up flutes and assume they've got it) and his clarinet and alto work is fantastic, almost vocalized, soulful, and varied. Roy Haynes is so good you don't even notice (aside from his solos) until the third or fourth play through, which is how a great drummer ought to come across. Ron Carter's work seems to extend Dolphy's tonal vision, but Dolphy emerges clearly as the leader. The day I got this I listened to it straight through three times, so be prepared to bask in this album's ability to make you think and simultaneously put you at ease for hours."