In A Mellow Tone, February 19: The Eric Dolphy Story

As part of In A Mellow Tone's celebration of Black History Month, I interview the author of a new book about Eric Dolphy and we hear some of his music

Eric Dolphy was born in Los Angeles in 1928, and died, tragically, at the age of 36. He was a multi-instrumentalist, playing the alto saxophone, the flute, and the bass clarinet.

On the show, you will hear my conversation with Jonathon Grasse, the author of a new book about Eric Dolphy: “Jazz Revolutionary: the life and music of Eric Dolphy” (Jawbone Press).

Grasse is a professor of music at the University of California, as well as a composer. His book is an essential guide to the career and music of Dolphy. On the show, Grasse also talks about the essential listening from Dolphy’s discography and we will dip into some of those recordings.

Dolphy played with Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Chico Hamilton and John Coltrane.

Here is a short clip of Dolphy on flute with Charles Mingus.

I discuss with Grasse the special relationship that Coltrane had with Dolphy. Here is Coltrane and Dolphy playing “Impressions”.

On April 10, 1964, just two and a half months before his death, Dolphy was interviewed in Amsterdam, where he said:

I enjoy playing all kinds of ways, and I feel you have a great chance of expressing yourself and broadening… Because music, regardless of what it is, what label we put on it, is basically music and basically creative. Because when you think of it, when you hear music, after it’s over, it’s gone in the air, you can never catch it again. So, it’s pure creation, whether you listen to a Beethoven or Brahms symphony, or if you listen to Mingus or Coltrane, Stravinsky, Ravel, Duke Ellington, or Sonny Rollins, Roland Kirk, anybody, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, these are all it has to be.

The full interview clip is here.

You can listen live on Wednesday, February 19 at 9 p.m. at 93.1 FM in Ottawa or online at CKCUFM.com. The show is also available on demand.