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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.
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