Eric Dolphy
Photo: None listed, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Clarinetists · 1928–1964

Eric Dolphy

American jazz musician (1928–1964)

Born
20 June 1928
Los Angeles
Died
29 June 1964
West Berlin
Country
United States
Active
1949–1964
Record labels
Blue Note, Impulse!
Discography
39 albums

Biography

Eric Dolphy was a jazz musician who played clarinet, flute, alto saxophone and bass clarinet. Eric Dolphy was born on 20 June 1928 in Los Angeles and died on 29 June 1964 in West Berlin. The music is usually filed under jazz, free jazz and hard bop. Record labels: Blue Note and Impulse!. The discography here lists 39 albums, from “Outward Bound” (1960) to “Last Recordings: Paris 1964” (2015).

Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain prominence during the same era. His use of the bass clarinet helped to establish the unconventional instrument within jazz. Dolphy extended the vocabulary and boundaries of the alto saxophone, and was among the earliest significant jazz flute soloists. His improvisational style was characterized by the use of wide intervals, in addition to employing an array of extended techniques to emulate the sounds of human voices and animals.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Outward Bound 1960 · New Jazz At the Five Spot, Volume 1 1961 · Live · Prestige Caribé 1961 · Original Jazz Classics Out There 1961 · Prestige Far Cry 1962 · New Jazz In Europe 1962 · Live · Debut Conversations 1963 · FM
At the Five Spot, Volume 2 1964 · Live · Prestige
Out to Lunch! 1964 · Blue Note Last Date 1965 · Fontana Here and There 1966 · Prestige Iron Man 1968 · Douglas
Live on Mount Meru 1970 · Live
Playing: Epistrophy 1974 · Live · Instant Composers Pool
Stockholm Sessions 1981 · enja Berlin Concerts 1982 · Live · Dargil Dash One 1982 · Prestige Vintage Dolphy 1986 · Live · GM Recordings
Live in Paris 1961 1987 · Live
Other Aspects 1987 · Blue Note
The Original Ellington Suite 1987
Last Recordings 1988 · Live · West Wind Candid Dolphy 1989 · Candid Eric Dolphy in Europe, Volume 1 1989 · Live · Original Jazz Classics
Memorial Album 1989 · Live · Original Jazz Classics
At the Five Spot 1990 · Live
Eric Dolphy in Europe, Volume 2 1990 · Live · Original Jazz Classics Eric Dolphy in Europe, Volume 3 1990 · Live · Original Jazz Classics Live in Germany 1992 · Live · Natasha Imports The Uppsala Concert 1993 · Live · Jazz Door The Illinois Concert 1999 · Live · Blue Note Left Alone 2003 · Live · Absord Music Japan
Cornell 1964 2007 · Live
The 1961 Helsinki Concert 2007 · Live
Complete 1961 Copenhagen Concert 2009 · Live
Eric Dolphy, a Night in Copenhagen 2009 · Live
The Unissued German Concerts 2010 · Live
In Europe. The Complete 1961 Copenhagen Concerts 2012 · Live · Essential Jazz Classics
Last Recordings: Paris 1964 2015 · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Eric Dolphy is credited as a sideman

1960 I Gotta Right to Swing — Sammy Davis Jr. reeds
1960 Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus — Charles Mingus alto saxophone, bass clarinet
1960 Mingus — Charles Mingus bass clarinet, alto saxophone
1960 John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music 1: Jazz Abstractions: Compositions by Gunther Schuller & Jim Hall — John Lewis flute, alto saxophone, bass clarinet
1961 Olé Coltrane — John Coltrane flute, alto saxophone
1961 Pre-Bird — Charles Mingus flute, alto saxophone
1961 Percussion Bitter Sweet — Max Roach woodwind
1961 Straight Ahead — Abbey Lincoln reeds
1961 Where? — Ron Carter with Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron bass clarinet, alto saxophone, flute
1961 Screamin' the Blues — Oliver Nelson Sextet Featuring: Eric Dolphy / Richard Williams bass clarinet, alto saxophone
1961 Straight Ahead — Oliver Nelson with Eric Dolphy bass clarinet, alto saxophone, flute
1961 The Blues and the Abstract Truth — Oliver Nelson alto saxophone, flute
1961 Plenty of Horn — Ted Curson flute
1961 Looking Ahead — Ken McIntyre & Eric Dolphy alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet
1961 Out Front — Booker Little alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
1962 Town Hall Concert — Charles Mingus alto saxophone
1962 Essence — John Lewis alto flute
1962 The Quest — Mal Waldron with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin alto saxophone, clarinet
1963 Impressions — John Coltrane bass clarinet, alto saxophone
1963 Reincarnation of a Love Bird — Charles Mingus alto saxophone, bass clarinet
1963 The Body & The Soul — Freddie Hubbard flute, alto saxophone
1964 Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus — Charles Mingus alto saxophone, flute
1964 The Individualism of Gil Evans — Gil Evans reeds, woodwind
1964 Town Hall Concert — Charles Mingus alto saxophone
1964 Russia Goes Jazz — Teddy Charles bass clarinet
1965 Just Jazz! — Benny Golson alto saxophone
1965 Point of Departure — Andrew Hill alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
1971 Twins — Ornette Coleman bass clarinet
1972 The Great Concert of Charles Mingus — Charles Mingus woodwind
1973 Swiss Suite — Oliver Nelson alto saxophone, flute

Standards written by Eric Dolphy

TitleKeyFormGroove
Serene E♭ major AB · 15 Slow swing

Analysed solos by Eric Dolphy

  • 245alto saxophone · 71 BPM · F-maj · 1960-04-01
  • Lesalto saxophone · 235 BPM · F-maj · 1960-04-01
  • On Green Dolphin Streetbass clarinet · 173 BPM · Eb-maj · 1960-04-01
  • Serenebass clarinet · 75 BPM · Eb-maj · 1960-08-15
  • Aishaalto saxophone · 63 BPM · A-min · 1961-05-25
  • Dahomey Dancealto saxophone · 129 BPM · G-maj · 1961-05-25

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Eric Dolphy play?

Eric Dolphy is known for playing clarinet, flute, alto saxophone and bass clarinet.

When and where was Eric Dolphy born?

Eric Dolphy was born 20 June 1928 in Los Angeles.

What are Eric Dolphy's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Outward Bound (1960), At the Five Spot, Volume 1 (1961), Caribé (1961), Out There (1961) and Far Cry (1962).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.