Eric Dolphy In Transition

Eric Dolphy (sax, clarinet, flute; b. 1928 d. 1964)

Out There (Prestige, 1960)

The L.A. native, Eric Dolphy, made a number of appearances as sideman before recording his debut Outward Bound (Prestige. 1960), brilliant slice of hard bop with exceptional promise. He had become a multi-instrumentalist, particularly through his improvisational work on the bass clarinet. He worked with both Charles Mingus and John Coltrane whom along with Charlie Parker were huge influences on his compositional work.

Many people, myself included, will site that the ultimate Eric Dolphy album to own is Out To Lunch (Blue Note; 1964) but I also believe that there is an album that marks the origins of what Dolphy would continue to explore for the rest of his career. That album is Out There (Prestige; 1960). Eric Dolphy employed a quartet that was minus a piano player. Instead he chose the legendary Ron Carter (cello), which would result in some of the most memorable interchanges you will ever hear. The quartet also included George Duviveier (bass) and Roy Haynes (drums) whom both add tremendous dimension to the proceedings.

The opening "Out There" is wonderful piece of free jazz in which Dolphy expresses the angular emotion that made his recorded output so unique that he former employer Coltrane would later take note and say that mention that many people missed the beauty in Eric Dolphy's music. A large majority of sessions features Dolphy on clarinet but it is an excellent opportunity for the listener to hear why he was considered one the few musicians to turn the clarinet into an unbelievable improvisational instrument.

On the Charles Mingus penned "Eclipse" Dolphy and Carter connect in one of most hauntingly beautiful ways. The ballad "Sketch Of Melba" illustrates the more melodic bluesier side which Dolphy could turn with ease. The session closes with a drifting and scale jumping "Feathers" in which Carter and Dolphy connect again with an uncanny beauty that would be reminiscent of Monk and Rouse.

Out There is a transitional album--bridging the more standard bop of its predecessor, Outward Bound with the future exploration of free jazz that would later result in the masterpiece of Out To Lunch. The Dali-esque album cover is slightly misleading to the accesible nature of the entire recording. But make no mistake, Out There is an album that stands on its own and should be a must in your music collection. A brilliant album by an artist would be gone all to soon.

Dave Bailey: One & Two Feet In The Gutter

Dave Bailey (drums; b. 1926)
The Complete One & Two Feet In The Gutter Sessions (Lone Hill Jazz)

Curtis Fuller (trombone)
Clark Terry (trumpet)
Bill Hardman (trumpet)
Juinor Cook (sax)
Charlie Rouse (sax)
Frank Hayes (sax)

Horace Parlan (piano) / Billy Gardner (piano)
Peck Morrisson (bass) / Ben Tucker (bass)

Originally this album was only one album--One Foot In Gutter (which came out on Epic Records in 1960). This is one of those smokin' jazz dates that every music fan can enjoy. Seriously you don't need a lot of history on date. Dave Bailey has been an under-appreciated yet phenomenal drummer before he recorded this stellar sessions. He has since retired and is teaching jazz in New York, I beleive.

Dave Bailey spent his formidable years working with in the legendary Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Big Band. He went on to record first the fantastic live date One Foot In The Gutter featuring superb solo work from Curtis Fuller (trombone) and Clark Terry (trumpet). The band also included Horace Parlan (piano), Peck Morrison (bass), Junior Cook and Thelonious Monk Quartet mainstay, Charlie Rouse sitting in on sax--all in truly rich powerful form throughout. The first session features a number Clark Terry numbers that really should be play loud and louder on your stereo to get the full encompassing effect ("Evad Smurd" and "One Foot In The Gutter"). There's also a great interpretation of Monk's "Well You Needn't" spotlighting Horace Parlan, and while Parlan can't match the majesty of Monk he does demand respect for re-imagining some of the parts. Parlan does for obvious reason seem more at home on the bluesier number "Blues For J.P." --mostly because Parlan wrote it. The band also close out the evening with a killer 21 minute opus of Clifford Brown's "Sandu". Absolutely beauty stuff.


The early 1960 session went so well that later the following year Bailey reconvened with new sextet to record the sequel, Two Feet In The Gutter. This session starts of with some hard driving interplay from Bailey and Billy Hardman (trumpet) on "Come Home Baby". This sextet had a lot to match compared to future legends that were recruited for the 1960 session but they do hold their own admirably. The title track "Two Feet In The Gutter" is a little more blues-ish/soul but has some great solo work from Frank Hayes (sax) and Bill Hardman.
 
Hardman and Hayes do very well in matching the quality of Terry and Rouse. The material does suit them for this more subtle bop date. The entire band do let loose as evident of "Lady Iris B". At the end of all this hard bop magic over the course of two years you will notice that Dave Bailey while letting his band do allot of the talking he is still the driving force as to where each tune goes and he is the glue to keeps the sessions together.
 
Only in the last five years have these two session really come back into circulation (as The Complete One & Two Feet In The Gutter Sessions) and thank god they did. It also includes an addition three tracks from a late 1961 session with Grant Green (guitar) entitled Reachin' Out. The In The Gutter Sessions are one of those deep treasures that jazz fans have been looking for but its also a two disc set that is worth it for fans of any music genre.
 
So if you are looking for something out the traditional big names you should seek out Dave Bailey's Complete One & Two Feet In The Gutter Sessions. Complete 1 & 2 Feet in the Gutter Sessions is available on import,  but if you want just the first date One Foot In The Gutter check it out at Amazon and take a listen. I'm pretty sure you're gonna dig it.