Out There (Eric Dolphy album)

Out There
Studio album by
Eric Dolphy
ReleasedSeptember 1961 (1961-09)[1][2]
RecordedAugust 15, 1960
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre
Length33:50
LabelNew Jazz
ProducerEsmond Edwards
Eric Dolphy chronology
Caribé
(1961) 		Out There
(1961) 		Far Cry
(1962)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
DownBeat[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[6]

Out There is an album by Eric Dolphy which was released by Prestige Records in September 1961.[1][2][7] It features Dolphy in a quartet with bassists Ron Carter (here playing cello) and George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes. It was Dolphy's second album as a leader, released following his time with Charles Mingus.

The album features four original compositions by Dolphy, one of which is a collaborative effort with Mingus. The album also features three covers, "Eclipse" by Mingus, "Sketch of Melba" by Randy Weston and "Feathers" by Hale Smith.[8] The cover features a painting by Richard Jennings, known as "Prophet".[9]

Dolphy's group on Out There resembles the late 1950s ensembles of Chico Hamilton, with whom Dolphy played and recorded during that time, in that it features both a cello and a bass; however, unlike Hamilton's group, Dolphy's does not contain a guitar or other chordal instrument. As a result, Dolphy and Ron Carter solo over bass and drums only, helping to give the album a freer, more open sound when compared to Dolphy's previous album, Outward Bound, which featured pianist Jaki Byard.[10] On the other hand, the presence of the cello lends the album a chamber music feel.[11]

"Eclipse" from this album is one of the rare instances where Dolphy solos on B♭ clarinet.[12] Out There is one of Carter's earliest appearances on record.

  1. ^ a b "Dolphy, Eric". Schwann Long Playing Record Catalog. 17 (3). Boston: W. Schwann, Inc. 1965. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Hentoff, Nat (28 September 1961). "Record Notes". The Reporter. New York: Reporter Magazine Co.
  3. ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Eric Dolphy: Out There". AllMusic. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Williams, Martin (September 28, 1961). "Eric Dolphy: Out There". DownBeat. Vol. 28, no. 20. p. 30.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 382. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 62. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  7. ^ "New Jazz Label Discography" (PDF). Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Product Details". Out There. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  9. ^ van de Linde, François (April 21, 2016). "Richard "Prophet" Jennings". FlopHouseMagazine.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  10. ^ Simosko, Vladimir; Tepperman, Barry (1971). Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography & Discography. Da Capo. p. 48.
  11. ^ Marsh, Peter (2002). "Eric Dolphy Out There Review". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  12. ^ Simosko, Vladimir; Tepperman, Barry (1971). Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography & Discography. Da Capo. p. 49.