ERIC DOLPHY — 'Out to Lunch!' (review)

ERIC DOLPHY — 'Out to Lunch!' album cover Album · 1964 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Warthur
Out to Lunch is an avant-bop masterpiece which paved the way for future musical experimentation - in particular, it seems to have exerted a powerful influence over Frank Zappa, who composed The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue during the avant-jazz era of the original Mothers of Invention (as captured on Weasels Ripped My Flesh). More intricate and complex than the free jazz which dominated the avant-garde jazz scene at the time, Dolphy and his colleagues rattle out brilliant performances which smash the conventions of jazz into tiny pieces over the course of the album. What's also notable about the album is that it manages to be actually kind of accessible without making any concessions to accessibility, if you see what I mean - you can sit down and listen and enjoy straight away without having to train your ear to really appreciate what Eric is doing here.

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