Eric Dolphy: Musical Prophet : The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions

There was a period in which multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy was one of the most controversial figures in improvised music. His contributions were labeled “anti-jazz” by DownBeat associate editor John Tynan in November 1961, in an infamous review of the John Coltrane quintet’s appearance at the Village Vanguard. I guess he was just ahead of his time. Equally proficient and innovative on alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet, Dolphy was associated with some of the biggest names in the music, including Charles Mingus, Chico Hamilton, Oliver Nelson, and Coltrane. As a leader, Dolphy made some well-received albums for Prestige, later collected in a 9-CD set. His sole Blue Note outing, Out To Lunch!, recorded in February 1964, is on many lists as one of the best jazz albums ever issued. The year before that session, in July 1963, producer Alan Douglas got Dolphy into the studio with a number of like-minded musicians to work on two Lp’s released as Conversations and Iron Man. The former was on Douglas’ own short-lived FM label; the latter came out years later on Douglas Records. By the time I started buying jazz records in the early Seventies, they were long out of print. My first encounter with any of this music was on a budget label, Everest, which omitted any useful information as it coupled the first two tracks on Conversations (Jitterbug Waltz and Music Matador, both long-time favorites) with two totally unrelated tracks by Cannonball Adderley and Gene Ammons (!). Now, after an interval of more than half a century, the music from these sessions has been issued in pristine mono as Musical Prophet : The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions, a three-LP or three CD set that includes an entire disc of revelatory previously unreleased alternate takes. Among the musicians joining Dolphy on these sessions were the well-established Clifford Jordan on soprano sax, future luminaries Woody Shaw on trumpet, making his recording debut, Sonny Simmons on alto sax, and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. Bassist Richard Davis (who also recorded with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, James Moody, Milt Jackson, and Ben Webster in 1963) plays wonderfully in duet with Dolphy on the Dietz/Schwartz standard Alone Together, Dolphy’s Ode to Charlie Parker, Ellington’s Come Sunday, and two previously unheard and sublimely beautiful takes of Roland Hanna’s Muses For Richard Davis. The set also includes the only song recorded at a March 1964 session led by pianist Bob James, variously known as Jim Crow or A Personal Statement, with lyrics and vocalise performed by countertenor David Schwartz. Dolphy is brilliant, but as far as Schwartz’s contribution is concerned, the less said the better.
Resonance has pulled out all the stops for this package. The 96-page booklet included with the CD version is chock-full of rare photos, memorabilia from Dolphy’s personal archive, an introduction by co-producer Zev Feldman about the genesis of the project, plus short essays by flute master and co-producer James Newton, who was entrusted with the Douglas tapes, and historian Robin D.G. Kelley. In addition, there’s a short piece by Bill Laswell about working with Alan Douglas, reminiscences by long-time Dolphy friend Juanita Smith (the widow of composer Hale Smith), Richard Davis, Sonny Simmons, Han Bennink, Joe Chambers, and Sonny Rollins, an essay by Japanese scholar Masakazu Sato on the popularity of Dolphy’s music in Japan, and more. There’s also a section of interviews with active musicians discussing Dolphy’s influence, where we get to hear what his music has meant to Nicole Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Oliver Lake, Steve Coleman, David Murray, Dave Liebman, and Marty Ehrlich.
Dolphy’s music, which Joe Chambers characterizes as “free interplay,” is passionate, inventive, and as Nicole Mitchell notes, “it doesn’t sound dated.” Dolphy was, as Steve Coleman says, a virtuoso on his instruments, and Oliver Lake describes Dolphy’s music as “the epitome of creativity.” Kudos to Resonance for this truly inspirational release, which restores this glorious music to wide circulation, making it available to new generations of fans and musicians alike. Unequivocally recommended! Resonance HLP-9035 (Lp) or HCD-2035 (CD); Eric Dolphy (as, fl, bcl) with Woody Shaw (tp) Prince Lasha (fl) Sonny Simmons (as) Clifford Jordan (ss) Garvin Bushell (bassoon) Bobby Hutcherson (vib) Richard Davis, Eddie Khan (b) J.C. Moses, Charles Moffett (d); NYC, July 1 & 3, 1963, except A Personal Statement [Dolphy, Bob James (p) Ron Brooks (b) Robert Pozar (perc) David Schwartz (vcl)], Ann Arbor, MI, March 2, 1964; Disc 1 (Conversations, 49:56): Jitterbug Waltz/ Music Matador/ Love Me/ Alone Together/ *Muses for Richard Davis 1/ *Muses for Richard Davis 2. Disc 2 (Iron Man, 55:40): Iron Man/ Mandrake/ Come Sunday/ Burning Spear/ Ode to Charlie Parker/ *A Personal Statement (alt.). *Disc 3 (53:02): Music Matador (alt.)/ Love Me (alt. 1) Love Me (alt. 2)/ Alone Together (alt.)/ Jitterbug Waltz (alt.)/ Mandrake (alt.)/ Burning Spear (alt.) All of disc 3, the alternate take of A Personal Statement, and the two takes of Muses for Richard Davis, marked with a *, are previously unissued. www.resonancerecords.org