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. Dolphy uses those pet devices for their evocative power and unnerving hints of dementia, not some abstract intellectual exercise. But that sort of analytical description simply doesn't do justice to the utterly alien effect of the album's jagged soundscapes. And those preoccupations reach their peak on Out to Lunch, which is less rooted in bop tradition than anything Dolphy had ever done. Much has been written about Dolphy's odd time signatures, wide-interval leaps, and flirtations with atonality. 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. Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Something Sweet, Something Tender - 6:00Įric Dolphy – bass clarinet (1 & 2), flute (3), alto saxophone (4 & 5)
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