Eric Dolphy (alto sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Richard Davis (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). From the album Out to Lunch (1964).
Eric Dolphy was always one of the most controversial figures in jazz. Belonging to the style of the Avant-Garde, he dared to play a very ugly instrument called bass clarinet that nobody before had dared to play in jazz environments. He was a multi-instrumentalist, he played alto sax, bass clarinet and flute. Unfortunately he died by accident very young, at 36 years old, in 1964. The reason for his death is not clear, but it is commonly believed that he died as a result of a coma caused by undiagnosed diabetes.
Here we have one of his masterpieces. Start the theme with a drum military march. Eric Dolphy plays the tune accompanied by Bobby Hutcherson on the vibraphone, but all that follows is chaos. This is one of the characteristics of Avant-Garde. Suddenly Freddie Hubbard bursts with his hurtful trumpet, and Hutcherson from behind. Richard Davis also has his chance on the double bass. The battery marks the last blunders that a theme of these characteristics deserves.
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