Out There. Recorded August 16, 1960. This is Eric Dolphy's second outing as leader, and in the next four years he would continue to convene groups to help him attain the sound he was searching for. The sound that was out there, somewhere.
The four-piece combo here is Dolphy blowing his usual assortment of reeds and flute, Roy Haynes on drums, the accomplished George Duvivier on bass, and usual bassist Ron Carter bowing a cello.
This album is fairly laid back, with a minimal sort of chamber jazz sound due to the restrained cello playing. Dolphy's solos are all over the map rhythmically, but the melodies are just plain beautiful. He alternates with Carter, whose soloing aligns wonderfully with the rhythm section's restrained beats.
The Baron carries the fastest pace on the record, with Dolphy and Carter dueling the main melody joyfully. A Mingus composition, Eclipse, is played in a tip-toe, rolling way with Dolphy playing the leads on a conventional B-flat clarinet. The rest of the songs seem to relax back into more comfortable territory for Dolphy, and the second side of the record is composed of contemplative, slow jams. On Feathers, the glacial rhythm flows underneath while Dolphy comes up with terrific phrases on his sax.
Slow as these songs may be, they have the inherent energy of jazz, with the unbelievable emotion that Dolphy brought to his compositions. Feathers brings a tear to my eye, and that ain't no joke.
Currently, this album is easily available on compact disc.