Charles Mingus - Bass Eric Dolphy - Sax, Bass Clarinet and Flute Clifford Jordan - Tenor Sax Jaki Byard - Piano Dannie Richmond - Drums Johnny Coles - Trumpet Norway on April 1964
"So Long Eric" was written by Mingus as an hommage to Eric Dolphy when he decided to leave the band and stay in Europe at the end of their 1964 tour. Only... He died a few months later in Berlin, giving to this tune a very different, and sad, meaning. Not so many people had the chance to play a piece composed for their own passing !
You have it right. I had just got hip to Eric’s music before he passed. I was saddened. I was just learning about jazz music. Fortunately for us jazz lovers he left behind a legacy of music for us to enjoy.
16:22 Danny looks up from his drum solo and sees Eric Dolphy thinking about what dolphins could do if they had hands or something... he says "GO Eric" and it's like Dolphy literally wakes up switches on. Greatest Band!
Mingus and Eric knew Jaki was every bit as talented as they (too bad the rest of the world didn’t). How insanely talented do you have to be when Mingus and Dolphy leave the stage so you can entertain the audience with your solo performance. (Mingus regularly featured Jaki like that.)
That’s one killer piano solo! God damn, he builds it so well, while still keeping a strong base in the blues. The whole band is amazing, though, and Eric Dolphy, like always, goes fucking crazy during his solo. Love it!
This great music belonged to these great but mostly suffering musicians and their global audiences (this performance took place in Norway). They showed respect to the music they performed even with their outfits. My personal view is that we, the contemporary audience, are just visitors to the Museum of Jazz...
Bop (be-, hard, post, etc) revealed artists who became genres themselves like MMM (Miles, Monk, Mingus). This sitting black tie chamber combo is a snapshot of the evergreen jazz with incomparable (yet underrated) virtuosi musicians... So long to all of them.
As a guitarist and Jazz fan, I love Eric's incredible octave skipping altissimo, smooth lagato runs growls, and his swing is ever present. I just think he was one of a kind.
Hi Tim, how do rate Dolphy's influence on Miles Davis? Just thinking of 'octave skipping'...this is a serious question. I often want to know more about technique...Mingus for me is exemplary on that bass, it has it own 'legato'...!
@@edwardwhittaker5728 Well I would say Charlie Parker, taught Miles, and Dolphy was certainly influenced by Bird. As was Trane with Diz, and round it goes.
@@jimrich4192 Not much else? Jim, you gotta be kidding. Mingus was one of the true geniuses in music. Get a little educated about his composing, band leading and bass playing and enjoy that man’s beauty he created for us.
Mingus had his first breakdown upon Dolphy's death. He thought the Germans had poisoed him. It is remarkable Dophy, Flo Jo, Beach Boy Mike Love, writer Charles Bukowski, Love's Arthur Lee all went to Dorsey High School in L.A!
This is some of the best stuff i have heard Dolphy ever play. He is an absolute genius like Parker and Coltrane in my opinion. The sounds he generates and what he plays is absolutely mind blowing. Even when playing with Coltrane takes the stuff to another level! If those 2 would have been alive now I cant imagine!
@@kenkovar2647 mmm and vice versa... Mingus never reached these peaks again. It was more than a leader-sideman relation. Dolphy had the strange characteristic of getting out the best from the men he worked with and being leader even without leading.... he was even a bit not at his best as a leader: he was getting his best just slightly before dieing (his Out to lunch his an absolute masterpiece and his best achievement as a leader....but it came really late - he was already 36 - ... and unluckily he died shortly after recording it.)
Mr. Byard's piano solo was very interesting to listen to - the organic nature of jazz was apparent when Mingus and Richmond totally locked down jnto a clocked groove. They sounded as if they were ready to take-off!
18:03 seeing Clifford look at Johnny for that little fill idea was really cool. Finding time, improvising, & displaying time signatures & how many times to play a note by hand. Golden Recording!!! Dannie’s drum solo is fire. Love the, “Here ya go Eric” at 16:26
check that dolphy. wow. out of the leagues. completely something else. not on the same level at all. now i understand why he is that genius. he doesn't give rats ass about nothing besides expression, whatever form-rhythm-effect-melody that takes it to express it. just unbelievable.
Thanks for sharing! This band is just spectacular!! Dolphe was out of this world ... in another stratosphere musically!!🎶🎼🎵 I'm just glad to hear this, again!! Cheers to some fantastic musicians!!💯
kind of interesting to compare this with the MilesTonyWayneHerbieRon band at the same time. They both took the "inside-outside" form/no form approach. But Mingus was more attached to the roots and the blues, and the people he hired reflected that. They both were the pinnacle of what a small band can do.
Love the work of both groups, and basically agree. However, if I had to be trapped in Hell with one or the other, I know these six cats would be the best company on and off the bandstand! Mingus was a much more rounded and technically and conceptually acomplished musician than Miles, far less commercial in his directions, and, as you suggest, more rooted in the tradition. His bands emanated a character and vibrancy that I don't think the Davis quintet could match, as a unit. {Shorter's own recorded work often comes closer in that regard}. I also feel that the Mingus group was full of great contributors whose innovations went under the radar more than those associated with Miles, while being just as valid and timely. - Anyway, at least we beggars CAN be choosers. eh !
@@jazzwarrior7206yeah, mingus, clifford jordan, dolphy, danny, jaki, curson,and roland deserved more respect and an easier life, same with pullen, adams, not to mention bob neloms and ricky ford. Miles and the second quintet got their just deserts, nice houses in california, as much work as they wanted, and global respect. Mingus was a salty guy and didn't make life easy for himself or the people he worked with. BTW, trapped in Hell with this band...are you sure you're not in heaven?
@@esiegel2 Yes indeed, an imbalance we have seen all too often, not only in jazz of course, but wherever big-business and art mix. Miles was a pretty salty dude and all, but I guess his place was assured through other criteria. Re Hell vs Heaven : I guess I was thinking that, EVEN in Hell, one would be 'in Heaven' with those guys! - I think too, in Miles' or Mingus' cases, their entry to Heaven, or not, might depend on how much their musical contributions figure in the entry criteria, otherwise it's probably off to hell for those two boys! Either way, if I was sitting in Purgatory, looked out the window and saw ANY of them wandering past, I'd be off following them without thought as to the destination, but not until I had waited long enough for Coltrane to cruise by!
@@jazzwarrior7206 you know the joke about a jazz musician who dies and goes to heaven. There he sees a band with bud powell paul chambers john Coltrane and many other greats. The first solo is taken by a man with a white beard, fine threads, and shades. And he sucks. The newly arrived musician turns to the guy next to and looks quizzical. The second guy says, oh you must be new hers that’s god and he thinks he is miles Davis
@@esiegel2 Ha ha! I didn't know it, but here's an original (as far as I know!?!) : A perplexed St. Peter was presented with a certain Mr Miles Dewey Davis III at the pearly gates for 'check in'. "Mr Davis ...", said the saint, "I'm not sure that you have been brought to the right place". He went on : "Your behavior record shows numerous sins and offenses which necessarily incur exclusion from Heaven, including extensive licentious sexual activity, habitual and unrepentant anger and violence, a near-lifetime's worth of serious abuse of several varieties of hard narcotics, and complete non-attendance at, or respect for, the church." Miles, brandishing a vinyl copy of 'A Kind of Blue', rasped, " Yeah ... but I also made THIS !" St Peter replied, " - Oh ... I see! ... Welcome to Heaven, Brother Davis!"
So cool!! All genius players. Dolphin always blows my mind. True American culture belongs too black USA. Charlie Patton to Eric Dolphin and Trane and Miles. Untouchable! 🎶🎼❤️❤️❤️
hella great rhythm change on this...takin' it to another level/.....Mingus & Daniel. really communicating.....Mr. Byard adding a little Blues/Swing......Mingus havin' fum walkin' that Bass !!
20:25 just when you think Eric doesnt have any more gears, he pulls this shit out lol. Clifford and Johnny can't do anything else but laugh. Pure genius
GOAT!!!!!! Thanks for this live performance, it confirms that these great prophets were heavenly sent (this was/is God's jazz band). During the late 70's I was fortunate to purchase "The great concerts of Eric's prestige 3 LP volumes, featuring Blackwell, Davis, Little & Waldron" and I started having interest on searching for more of the so called 'Great Concerts' until I found the CM great concerts 3 LP volumes America label. I'm still enjoying these recordings on each and every Sunday afternoon. Was this the same live performance where the trumpeter (Johnny Coles) collapsed on stage at the end of the same track 'So long Eric don't stay over there too long'?. Unbelievable!!!!!!!
