Out to Lunch
Eric Dolphy was among the most daring, impassioned, and technically assured improvisers to come of age in the 1960s. From his groundbreaking work withChico HamiltonandCharles Mingus, through his catalytic stint withJohn Coltrane, and all through his brilliantsolo recordings for Prestige, this reed innovator defined the best elements of the swing and the bebop traditions, fromBenny CarterthroughBird, while extending on the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic freedom ofMonk. Dolphy is an emotional shaman with a keen comic edge, as is evident in the rhythmic sauntering, drunken gait of his theme to "Straight Up and Down," and Monk's influence is clearly discernible in Dolphy's witty dissonances and vocalized blues phrasing throughoutOut to Lunch!(his only Blue Note recording, completed shortly before his untimely death). Rhythm masters Richard Davis,Bobby Hutcherson, andTony Williamssuspend time at will, sculpting in open space, while deconstructing the harmony and superimposing cubist rhythmic displacements--periodically regrouping aroundFreddie Hubbard's bumblebee trumpet and the leader's vocalized bass clarinet (his Monkish "Hat and Beard"), wailing alto (the martial parodies of the title tune), and exhilarating flute (the lyric, swinging "Gazzelloni").Out to Lunch!represents Dolphy's most fully realized vision.--Chip Stern