Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 - June 29, 1964) was a jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and clarinet. Dolphy was the first important bass clarinet soloist in jazz, and one of the first viable flute soloists in jazz.

Dolphy came to prominence in drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet in 1958, and had a particularly fruitful relationship with bassist Charles Mingus, beginning 1959 and continuing intermittently until Dolphy's death from undiagnosed diabetes.

Dolphy recorded or played with such important jazz musicians as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony Williams. Dolphy had a unique capacity to make his instruments "speak." Charles Mingus considered Dolphy his most talented interpreter and Coltrane described Dolphy as the only horn player he could conceivably play with as an equal in the early 60's (before the free jazz explosion).

Classical music played a large role in Dolphy's early training and remained important to him. Dolphy performed and recorded Edgard Varese's Density 21.5 for solo flute as well as other classical works, and partipated heavily in Third Stream efforts.

Dolphy's work is sometimes classified as free jazz, though Dolphy insisted his compositions and solos were grounded in a thorough, if occasionally unorthodox use of harmony. He made several unaccompanied recordings, then a rarity for woodwind instrumentalists.

Dolphy's 1964 Blue Note recording Out To Lunch is often regarded not only as his finest, but also as one of the greatest free jazz recordings.

Discography

• 1959 Truth
• 1959 Hot & Cool Latin
• 1959 Wherever I Go
• 1960 Status
• 1960 Dash One
• 1960 Outward Bound
• 1960 Here and There
• 1960 Looking Ahead
• 1960 Fire Waltz
• 1960 Other Aspects
• 1960 Out There
• 1960 The Caribe with the Latin Jazz Quintet
• 1960 Candid Dolphy
• 1960 Magic
• 1960 Far Cry
• 1960 Eric Dolphy
• 1961 The Quest
• 1961 The Great Concert of Eric Dolphy (live)
• 1961 Live! at the Five Spot, Vol. 1
• 1961 Live! at the Five Spot, Vol. 2
• 1961 Latin Jazz Quintet
• 1961 Berlin Concerts [live]
• 1961 Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 3
• 1961 Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 2
• 1961 Eric Dolphy in Europe, Vol. 1 (live)
• 1961 Copenhagen Concert (live)
• 1961 Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
• 1961 Quartet 1961
• 1962 Vintage Dolphy
• 1963 Conversations
• 1963 Iron Man
• 1963 Jitterbug Waltz
• 1963 The Illinois Concert (live)
• 1964 Out to Lunch
• 1964 Last Date
• 1964 Naima
• 1964 Unrealized Tapes

External links

• A Dolphy website and instructions for mailing list
• Some transcriptions of Dolphy solos