AVID Jazz presents four classic Eric Dolphy albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. “Outward Bound”; “Out There”; “Far Cry” and “Eric Dolphy At The Five Spot”. Eric Dolphy was born in Los Angeles on June 20th 1928 and was already playing his first instrument, the clarinet by the age of nine! Having travelled east with the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1958 and being spotted playing with Charles Mingus, Dolphy was ready to make his first solo album for Prestige, “Outward Bound” by April, 1960. Here he can be heard playing alto sax, bass clarinet and flute alongside Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jaki Byard on piano, George Tucker on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. For “Out There” also recorded for Prestige in August 1960, Dolphy is joined by Ron Carter on cello, George Duvivier on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. At the time of recording this was not probably the easiest jazz to listen to, as Dolphy was coming from the free thinking, Coltrane school of jazz. As he is quoted in the original liner notes to this fine album……” Something new’s happening. I don’t know what it is, but it’s new, and it’s good, and it’s just about to happen, and it’s wonderful to be here in New York, right in the middle of it”. “Far Cry”, remarkably also recorded for Prestige in late December of 1960 saw Dolphy joined by Booker Little on trumpet (who also gets a co headline on the front cover but was to tragically die at twenty three, less than a year after this recording!), Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. Again it is illuminating to quote from the original liner notes to get where Dolphys’ head was at during this time of tremendous challenges in the jazz world, and also a time where work was becoming scarce for the new wave of jazzmen like Dolphy, Coltrane, Cecil Taylor and Ornette. Asked if he would ever leave jazz his reply was instant…………”I’ll never leave jazz……….I’ve put too much of myself into jazz already………….to me jazz is like a part of living……walking down the street and reacting to what you see and hear…..there is so many possibilities for growth inside jazz because it changes and you change”. “Eric Dolphy At The Five Spot” was recorded live in performance at New York’s Five Spot club in July 1961. The line up was Dolphy on alto sax and bass clarinet, Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, Richard Davis on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums. This gig represented the first regular work Dolphy had managed to secure since leaving Charles Mingus and getting involved with the new wave of jazz performers. It also had a greater significance to many as it represented the true arrival of the new music that had been threatening the scene for some time. In the true new tradition the album represents a group effort with all three major soloists contributing to the song writing. All four albums have been digitally re-mastered
CD1 1-6: ‘Outward Bound’ 1. G.W. 2. On Green Dolphin Street 3. Les 4. 245 5. Glad To Be Unhappy 6. Miss Toni 7-13: ‘Out There’ 7. Out There 8. Serene 9. The Baron 10. Eclipse 11. 17 West 12. Sketch Of Melba 13. Feathers 14: ‘Far Cry’ 14. Ode To Charlie Parker
CD2 1-6: ‘Far Cry’ 1. Mrs. Parker of K.C. 2. Far Cry 3. Miss Ann 4. Left Alone 5. Tenderly 6. It’s Magic 7-9: ‘Eric Dolphy At The Five Spot’ 7.Fire Waltz 8.Bee Vamp 9.The Prophet
