Eric Dolphy（1928—1964）生于洛杉矶。58年加入 Chico Hamilton 的乐团后，从60年起随着参加 Charles Mingus 的团体，而与 Ornette Coleman 合演。后来组成自己的乐团。同时也和John Coltrane合奏。一面守着传统的调性世界。一面注入新的手法，成为自从 Charlie Parker 以来，负责联系 HARD BOP、MOOES 和 FREE 等革新性爵士的重要角色。 曾被Miles Davis指责，亦被权威爵士乐杂志形容为“反爵士”，Eric Dolphy因为他的前卫乐风吓跑不少传统爵士乐卫道之士，虽然如此他却是世人公认前卫爵士乐中仅次于萨克斯风手 Ornette Coleman 之天才乐手。以中音萨克斯风、长笛、低音黑管为主要吹奏乐器，Dolphy 虽然以不对称节奏及自由旋律为创作诉求，但他的吹奏力度与萨克斯风巨人 Charlie Parker 相比实在不相伯仲。此外，他的音域控制技巧，可媲美任何硬式咆技术派乐手。1928年生于美国洛杉矶，Dolphy 于6岁时已经参与专业的巡回演出。1958年参与 Chico Hamilton 大乐团，他的才艺足以使得这支原本就光芒四射的队伍更见特殊。60年代的 Dolphy ，除了参与贝斯手 Charles Mingus 乐团工作之外，并与 Mal Waldron、Ron Carter、Jaki Byard 等乐手合作录音工作。1961年他与小号手 Booker Little 的合作更激出灿烂的火花，虽然合作为期不到半年，但是他们在 Five Spot 的录音演出却成为现代爵士乐中的经典作品。1964年，Dolphy的吹奏技巧已达炉火纯清之境，这些可见于他的独奏及双重奏作品中，同年Dolphy亦不幸去世。
 
曾被Miles Davis指责，亦被权威爵士乐杂志形容为“反爵士”，Eric Dolphy因为他的前卫乐风吓跑不少传统爵士乐卫道之士，虽然如此他却是世人公认为前卫爵士乐中仅次于萨克斯风手Ornette Coleman之天才乐手。以中音萨克斯风、长笛、低音黑管为主要吹奏乐器，Dolphy虽然以不对称节奏及自由旋律为创作诉求，但他的吹奏力度与萨克斯风巨人Charlie Parker相比实在不相伯仲。此外，他的音欲控制技巧，可媲美任何硬式咆勃技术派乐手。1928年生于美国洛杉矶，Dolphy于6岁时已经参与专业的巡回演出。1958年参与Chico Hamilton大乐团，他的才艺足以使得这支原本就光芒四射的队伍更见特殊。60年代的Dolphy，除了参与贝斯手Charles Mingus乐团工作之外，并与Mal Waldron、Ron Carter、Jaki Byard等乐手合作录音工作。1961年与小号手Booker Little的合作更激出灿烂的火花，虽然合作为期不到半年，但是他们在Five Spot的录音演出却成为现代爵士乐中的经典作品。1964年，Dolphy的吹奏技巧以达炉火纯青之境，这些可见于他的独奏及双重奏作品中，同年Dolphy亦不幸去世。
 
by Scott Yanow
 
Eric Dolphy was a true original with his own distinctive styles on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. His music fell into the avant-garde category yet he did not discard chordal improvisation altogether (although the relationship of his notes to the chords was often pretty abstract). While most of the other free jazz players sounded very serious in their playing, Dolphys solos often came across as ecstatic and exuberant. His improvisations utilized very wide intervals, a variety of nonmusical speechlike sounds, and its own logic. Although the alto was his main axe, Dolphy was the first flutist to move beyond bop (influencing James Newton) and he largely introduced the bass clarinet to jazz as a solo instrument. He was also one of the first (after Coleman Hawkins) to record unaccompanied horn solos, preceding Anthony Braxton by five years.
 
Eric Dolphy first recorded while with Roy Porter & His Orchestra (1948-1950) in Los Angeles, he was in the Army for two years, and he then played in obscurity in L.A. until he joined the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1958. In 1959 he settled in New York and was soon a member of the Charles Mingus Quartet. By 1960 Dolphy was recording regularly as a leader for Prestige and gaining attention for his work with Mingus, but throughout his short career he had difficulty gaining steady work due to his very advanced style. Dolphy recorded quite a bit during 1960-1961, including three albums cut at the Five Spot while with trumpeter Booker Little, Free Jazz with Ornette Coleman, sessions with Max Roach, and some European dates.
 
Late in 1961 Dolphy was part of the John Coltrane Quintet; their engagement at the Village Vanguard caused conservative critics to try to smear them as playing anti-jazz due to the lengthy and very free solos. During 1962-1963 Dolphy played third stream music with Gunther Schuller and Orchestra U.S.A., and gigged all too rarely with his own group. In 1964 he recorded his classic Out to Lunch for Blue Note and traveled to Europe with the Charles Mingus Sextet (which was arguably the bassists most exciting band, as shown on The Great Concert of Charles Mingus). After he chose to stay in Europe, Dolphy had a few gigs but then died suddenly from a diabetic coma at the age of 36, a major loss.
 
Virtually all of Eric Dolphys recordings are in print, including a nine-CD box set of all of his Prestige sessions. In addition, Dolphy can be seen on film with John Coltrane (included on The Coltrane Legacy) and with Mingus from 1964 on a video released by Shanachie.