Having belaboured Dolphy for much of his work, I am suddenly confronted with this album, the first side of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Yet I still hold the view that the late reedman, like many of his colleagues, had, musically speaking, trapped himself in a blind alley.
I say this knowing full well that angry readers will castigate me for being a stupid reactionary. But the blunt truth is that the bulk of Dolphy’s recordings are unpalatable to these ears. No amount of analysis, argument or listening can alter that fact. Therefore, Hi Fly and Glad are especially surprising. The first, a delightful Randy Weston composition, is a startling duet between Eric’s flute and Chuck Israel’s mobile bass. The second spotlights more flute, supported by a trio of Danish musicians. In both performances Dolphy’s playing is closer to conventional standards than usual. His lines are wordy, but attractive.
By contrast, Child and Oleo showcase the Dolphy bass clarinet, the former being a seven-minute unaccompanied solo. Eric explores the creaky lower depths of the instrument and sounds like a man practising on his horn. Apart from a ragged contribution by the star, Oleo has dull solos by the Danes.
New thinkers will buy this anyway. Archaic modernists will probably prefer a Parker reissue.
Discography
(a) Hi Fly; (b) Glad To Be Unhappy (20½ min) – (c) God Bless The Child; (b) Oleo (15 min)
(a) Eric Dolphy (flt); Chuck Israels (bs). Copenhagen, Denmark, 8/9/61.
(b) Eric Dolphy (flt/bs-clt); Bent Axen (p); Erik Moseholm (bs); John Elniff (d). Same date.
(c) Eric Dolphy (bs-clt). Same date.
(Stateside SL 10104 12inLP 32s.)
