I’ve been focused on my doubles – flute, clarinet, and piccolo – recently, as I’m performing in an upcoming production of Annie. Even though flute’s my primary double instrument, I’ve been playing it more than usual for this gig. And as a result, I’ve had notable doublers on my mind, one of jazz’s greatest being Eric Dolphy.

Dolphy was one of jazz’s great all-around woodwind masters. Most remembered as an alto saxophonist, he was also a landmark bass clarinetist (the first to really establish it as a jazz instrument) and flautist. It’s not only that he was tremendously skilled, but that he conveyed an original, idiosyncratic voice through each instrument. And while he was a respected bandleader in his own right, his associations with Charles Mingus and John Coltrane – two of contemporary music’s forefathers – were historic. (And speaking of being a sideman, he steals the show on Oliver Nelson‘s The Blues and the Abstract Truth.)

Like many, I was introduced to Dolphy through Trane. Even with holding Trane’s entire legacy on a pedestal, his later work – the sixties in general, but especially ’64-’67 – is my primary wheelhouse. When I first bought The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings box set, I remember being taken aback by Eric Dolphy’s ubiquitous presence and coming to really enjoy the contrast between the two frontmen. (It really sets the stage for Coltrane’s late quintet with Pharoah Sanders.)

This video of Trane’s almost-Classic Quartet (Steve Davis is on bass), augmented by Dolphy, features a 1961 German television performance of “My Favorite Things.” While it’s still steeped in the flavor of the famous studio recording – unlike late renditions – it’s definitely further out. When it comes to this level of artistry, all I can say is to sit back and enjoy…

[In case you’re interested, a performance of “Impressions” from this same TV appearance, with Dolphy on alto sax, is available on iTunes. It’s quite nice.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goQKJPgQHBI