Eric Dolphy - In Europe vol 1-3 (1961)

Eric Dolphy - In Europe vol 1-3 (1961)

jazz | 3cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 725MB

OJC

CDuniverse:
Like many American jazz musicians then and now, multi-instrumentalist and composer Eric Dolphy found European audiences more receptive than those at home. This was especially true in Dolphy's case, as, with Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, he was among the more revolutionary players of the late 1950s and early '60s.
v1:
finds Eric Dolphy in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1961 with a Danish trio, in tandem with bassist Chuck Israels (known for his association with pianist Bill Evans), and unaccompanied. This volume forgoes his alto sax playing in favor of his flute and bass clarinet.
One highlight is the Randy Weston gem, "Hi Fly," a flute and bass duet where Israels provides a steady foundation for Dolphy's lyrical, inspired flights of fancy. Dolphy has a certain cool reserve here that'll keep you coming back for more. Another standout is the unaccompanied bass clarinet reading of the Billie Holiday classic "God Bless the Child," where Dolphy caresses the melancholy melody before exploring it thoroughly, with several moments that anticipate the minimalist esthetic of composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Beautifully recorded and remastered, vol 1 is essential for Dolphy fans, and recommended as a good starting point for others.
Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 8, 1961. Originally released on Prestige (7304)
v2:
finds Dolphy in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1961 with a Danish trio, concentrating on alto sax and flute in a program of (mostly) standards. Though the trio isn't exactly cutting edge, it provides a solid, mellow backing throughout--sounding especially fine on "Don't Blame Me." For the most part, Dolphy, too, is in an easygoing mood on this session. His flute playing is brilliant: lyrical, sparkling, and gentle without being bland. Everyone cuts loose, though, on the frenetic, yet focused "The Way You Look Tonight," where Dolphy's vocalized alto, wailing and darting, is hard bop drenched in 1960s blues.
Recorded live in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 6, 1961. Originally released on Prestige (7350)
v3:
finds Dolphy in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1961, supported by a trio of Danish players. "Woody 'N You," the Dizzy Gillespie standard, is taken at a fast clip, with Dolphy's brisk, twisting alto solo an exhilarating balance of freedom and focus. "The Blues" shows that Dolphy was never far from the roots of jazz, and "When Lights Are Low" features him swinging the bass clarinet. The Danish players aren't nearly as adventurous as Dolphy, but they play with a crisp exuberance, particularly drummer Jorn Elniff.
Recorded on September 6 & 8, 1961. Originally released on Prestige (7366).

Tracks
cd1
01 - Hi Fly
02 - Glad to Be Unhappy
03 - God Bless the Child
04 - Oleo
cd2
01 - Don't Blame Me
02 - Don't Blame Me (take 2)
03 - The Way You Look Tonight
04 - Miss Ann
05 - Laura
cd3
01 - Woody'n You
02 - When Lights Are Low
03 - In the Blues (takes 1, 2, 3)

Personnel
* Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet)
* Bent Axen (piano)
* Erik Moseholm (acoustic bass)
* Jorn Elnif (drums)

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Eric Dolphy - Last Date (1964) (eac-log-cover)

Eric Dolphy - Last Date (1964)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Par media music

Allmusic:
Allegedly Eric Dolphy's final recorded performance -- a fact historians roundly dispute -- this session in Hilversum, Holland, teams the masterful bass clarinetist, flutist, and alto saxophonist with a Dutch trio of performers who understand the ways in which their hero and leader modified music in such a unique, passionate, and purposeful way far from convention. In pianist Misha Mengelberg, bassist Jacques Schols, and drummer Han Bennink, Dolphy was firmly entwined with a group who understood his off-kilter, pretzel logic concept in shaping melodies and harmonies that were prime extensions of Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Cecil Taylor. These three Dolphy originals, one from Monk, one from Mengelberg, and a standard are played so convincingly and with the utmost courage that they created a final stand in the development of how the woodwindist conceived of jazz like no one else before, during, or after his life. Utterly masterful on his flute during "You Don't Know What Love Is," Dolphy's high-drama vibrato tones are simply out of this or any other world, perfectly emoting the bittersweet intent of this song. The ribald humor demonstrated during "Miss Ann" is a signature sound of Dolphy's alto sax, angular like Monk, jovial and more out of the box while he digs in. Where "Epistrophy" might seem standard fare to some, with Dolphy on bass clarinet it is based on voicings even more obtuse than the composer's concept, bouncing along the wings of Mengelberg's piano lines. The post-bop blues of "South Street Exit" is tuneful while also breaking off into tangents, with Bennink's crazy drumming acting like shooting, exploding stars. As the definitive track on this album, "The Madrig Speaks, the Panther Walks" demonstrates the inside-out concept, with mixed tempos changed at will and a 6/8 time insert with Dolphy's choppy alto merging into playful segments as the title suggests -- a most delightful track. The ridiculously titled "Hypochristmutreefuzz" might be the most understated fare in its more simple angularity, as Schols plays his bass in the upper register while the band dances around him. Last Date is one of those legendary albums whose reputation grows with every passing year, and deservedly so. While it reveals more about the genius rhythm section than Dolphy himself, it also marks the passing of one era and the beginning of what has become a most potent and enduring legacy of European creative improvised tradition, started by Mengelberg and Bennink at this mid-'60s juncture.

Tracks:
-1 -Epistrophy 11:15
-2 -South Street Exit 7:10
-3 -The Madrig Speaks, The Panther Walks 4:50
-4 -Hypochristmutreefuzz 5:25
-5 -You Don't Know What Love Is 11:20
-6 -Miss Ann 5:25

Personnel:
Bass - Jacques Schols
Drums - Han Bennink
Flute, Clarinet [Bass], Saxophone [Alto] - Eric Dolphy
Other [Liner Notes] - Michiel de Ruyter
Piano - Misja Mengelberg*

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Chico Hamilton Quintet & Eric Dolphy - The Original Ellington Suite (1958) (eac-log-cover)

Chico Hamilton Quintet & Eric Dolphy - The Original Ellington Suite (1958)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 130MB

Pacific Jazz | rel: 2000

AMG:
This release will have fans of Eric Dolphy salivating as it includes some long-lost work that jazz scholars didn't know existed at all. When the premiere reissue producer Michael Cuscuna researched all known Pacific Jazz tapes attributed to Chico Hamilton, all he came across were three edited numbers from this session, two of which had appeared on a compilation and another only on a DJ sampler. But this release is due to the luck of a Canadian resident who was digging through a used record bin in his hometown of Brighton, England, where he found a copy of The Ellington Suite with the personnel listed from a later session and a near mint blank test pressing of what turned out to be the long lost Chico Hamilton original version with Dolphy. While producer Richard Bock may have thought Dolphy's playing was at times too radical, history proves him wrong. His mellow alto sax is a key ingredient of "In a Sentimental Mood," while his unique phrasing is central to the swinging "Just A-Sittin'and A-Rockin'." Dolphy's flute is not as aggressive as it would be in the next few years, but his playing on "Everything but You" provides a preview of what was to come later in his career. Dolphy's clarinet weaves underneath Nate Gershman's arco cello solo in the lovely "Day Dream." Of course, the work of guitarist John Pisano, bassist Hal Gaylor, and the leader should not be ignored, as their musicianship is of the highest order, too. Chico Hamilton's pianoless chamber jazz recordings for Pacific Jazz between 1955 and 1959 are important landmarks, but the discovery of this long-lost date adds to his many achievements. Highly recommended.

Tracks:
-01 - In a Mellow Tone (Ellington) - 4:18
-02 - In a Sentimental Mood (Ellington, Kurtz, Mills) - 5:40
-03 - I'm Just a Lucky So and So (David, Ellington) - 5:09
-04 - Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' (Ellington, Gaines, Strayhorn) - 5:25
-05 - Everything But You (Ellington, George, James) - 5:16
-06 - Day Dream (Ellington, Latouche, Strayhorn) - 3:42
-07 - I'm Beginning to See the Light (Ellington, George, Hodges, James) - 5:07
-08 - Azure (Ellington) - 3:13
-09 - It Don't Mean a Thing (Ellington, Mills) - 4:19

Personnel:
Eric Dolphy - Clarinet, Flute, Sax
Nate Gershman - Cello
John Pisano - Guitar
Hal Gaylor - Bass
Chico Hamilton - Drums
thx to Musicgate

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Eric Dolphy & Booker Little - Far Cry (20bSBM) (1960) (eac-flac-cover)

Eric Dolphy & Booker Little - Far Cry (1960) (20bSBM)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 355MB

OJC20bit | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Charlie Parker's influence permeates this 1960 session. Beyond the obvious acknowledgment on song titles ("Mrs. Parker of K.C. ['Bird's Mother']" and "Ode to Charlie Parker"), his restless spirit is utilized as a guiding light for breaking bebop molds. Far Cry finds multi-reedist Eric Dolphy in a transitional phase, relinquishing Parker's governing universal impact and diving into the next controversial phase that critics began calling "anti-jazz." On this date Booker Little's lyrical trumpet and Jackie Byard's confident grasp of multiple piano styles (though both steeped in hard bop) were sympathetic to the burgeoning "avant-garde" approach that Dolphy displays, albeit sparingly, on this session. Far Cry contains the initial performance of Dolphy's future jazz classic "Miss Ann," along with his first recorded solo alto sax performance on "Tenderly," in which Dolphy bridges the gap between the solo saxophone performances of Coleman Hawkins and Anthony Braxton.

Tracks
1 Mrs. Parker Of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
2 Ode To Charlie Parker
3 Far Cry
4 Miss Ann
5 Left Alone
6 Tenderly
7 It's Magic
8 Serene

Personnel
Bass - Ron Carter
Drums - Roy Haynes
Piano - Jaki Byard
Saxophone [Alto], Clarinet [Bass], Flute - Eric Dolphy
Trumpet - Booker Little

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Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert (1964) (eac-flac-cover)

Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert (1964)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

OJC | rar +5% recovery

AMG
The first of many live recordings made of Mingus's touring band of 1964, most in Europe, it's got one of his strongest lineups: Eric Dolphy (reeds), Johnny Coles (tpt), Clifford Jordan (ts), Jaki Byard (p), and Dannie Richmond (d). Every performance on the tour is worth listening to. The only knock against this disc is its 45-minute length.

Tracks
01 - So Long Eric
02 - Praying With Eric

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Eric Dolphy - The Illinois Concert (1963) (eac-flac-cover)

Eric Dolphy - The Illinois Concert (1963)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

BN | rar +5% recovery

AMG
The 1999 discovery of a previously unknown 1963 concert by Eric Dolphy makes it one of the finds of the decade. Taped for broadcast at the University of Illinois at Champaign, it was mentioned in an Eric Dolphy Internet chat room and eventually relayed to producer Michael Cuscuna. The sound is very good, except for overly prominent drums throughout the concert and an under-miked flute on "South Street Exit." Dolphy's playing is consistently rewarding, including a lengthy workout of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," a miniature of "Something Sweet, Something Tender," and his always superb solo feature of "God Bless the Child." He switches to alto sax for an adventurous new work, "Iron Man" (which he would record a few months later for Douglas International), also inserting a hilarious quote of "Comin' Through the Rye." A 23-year-old Herbie Hancock on piano, Eddie Locke on bass, and drummer J. C. Moses make up the solid rhythm section. The last two tracks, "Red Planet" and Dolphy's "G.W.," add the support of the University of Illinois Brass Ensemble, which included a young Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Highly recommended!

Recorded live at the University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois on March 10, 1963.

Tracks
1 Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise 20:17
2 Something Sweet, Something Tender 1:28
3 God Bless the Child 8:45
4 South Street Exit 7:30
5 Iron Man 10:57
6 Red Planet 12:26
7 G.W. 7:40

Personnel: Eric Dolphy (flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone); Vince Johnson, Kim Richmond (reeds); Bruce Scafe, Dick Montz, Larry Franklin (trumpet); Jon English , Bob Edmondson (trombone); Aaron Johnson (tuba); Ralph Woodward, Cecil Bridgewater (brass); Herbie Hancock (piano); J.C. Moses (drums).

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