View Your Cart 0 Log in to The Jazz Store
Buy Online or Call 1-800-558-9513 To Order
Out to Lunch

Out to Lunch

  • Artist: Eric Dolphy
  • Total time: 42:04
  • Availability: In stock
  • Item #: 5181628
  • Your Price: $17.98
Currently available in US only.

Review

Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and its five Dolphy originals -- the jarring Monk tribute "Hat and Beard," the aptly titled "Something Sweet, Something Tender," the weirdly jaunty flute showcase "Gazzelloni," the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of "Straight Up and Down" -- were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom. Much has been written about Dolphy's odd time signatures, wide-interval leaps, and flirtations with atonality. And those preoccupations reach their peak on Out to Lunch, which is less rooted in bop tradition than anything Dolphy had ever done. But that sort of analytical description simply doesn't do justice to the utterly alien effect of the album's jagged soundscapes. Dolphy uses those pet devices for their evocative power and unnerving hints of dementia, not some abstract intellectual exercise. His solos and themes aren't just angular and dissonant -- they're hugely so, with a definite playfulness that becomes more apparent with every listen. The whole ensemble -- trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Tony Williams -- takes full advantage of the freedom Dolphy offers, but special mention has to be made of Hutcherson, who has fully perfected his pianoless accompaniment technique. His creepy, floating chords and quick stabs of dissonance anchor the album's texture, and he punctuates the soloists' lines at the least expected times, suggesting completely different pulses. Meanwhile, Dolphy's stuttering vocal-like effects and oddly placed pauses often make his bass clarinet lines sound like they're tripping over themselves. Just as the title Out to Lunch suggests, this is music that sounds like nothing so much as a mad gleam in its creator's eyes. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Track Listing

1. Hat and Beard 8:27
2. Something Sweet, Something Tender 6:05
3. Gazzelloni 7:23
4. Out to Lunch 12:09
5. Straight Up and Down 8:20

Details of This Recording

  • Label: Blue Note
  • Credits:
  • Additional Info:
  • Styles:
    • Jazz
    • Post-Bop
    • Flute
    • Saxophone
    • United States of America
    • Avant-Garde Jazz

Contents

Remastered!

Hat and Beard; Something Sweet, Something Tender; Gazzelloni; Out to Lunch; Straight Up and Down.

Eric Dolphy, Alto Sax, Flute, Bass Clarinet; Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet; Bobby Hutcherson, Vibes; Richard Davis, Bass; Anthony Williams, Drums.

Extended Article

The Rudy Van Gelder (RVG) Series consists of classic Blue Note albums that have been newly remastered in 24-bit by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder with state of the art equipment. These audiophile releases contain bonus tracks and session photos.

Read About This Recording

Before his untimely death, Eric Dolphy had played with no less than tenor-saxophonist John Coltrane and bassist Charles Mingus. Coltrane praised him for being able to hold his own on stage, and Mingus featured him on such fiery compositions as Folk Forms No. 1 and The Fables of Faubus.

Dolphy helped pioneer the multi-instrumental approach to jazz, and dived into the controversial avant-garde sound. Also known as out or free jazz, its daring use of dissonance and tension was sworn by and sworn at. Dolphy was unfairly maligned by writers and musicians who refused to keep up with the changes in jazz. Accusations of not playing melody, destroying music and playing for oneself were hurled. Musicians like Dolphy never lost their love for blues, even when not playing standard blues riffs. He knew there was more to jazz than classic covers of Gershwin or original ballads, as beautiful as they may be.

With that in mind, you are invited to dive into the challenging waters of Out To Lunch with ex-Jazz Messenger Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on bass and the dynamic Tony Williams on drums. Dolphy plays astounding solos on alto sax, flute and clarinet. Out To Lunch is remastered by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder, with liner notes by A.B. Spellman and Bob Blumenthal, and photos by Reid Miles and Francis Wolff.

-Richard Antone