In 1960, the free jazz pioneered by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Horace Tapscott and a very few others was rejected by many musicians and most listeners. For the visionary saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist Eric Dolphy, it was simply new music fed by the mainstream, a logical extension of the jazz tradition. In Far Cry without leaving form behind, he incorporated the spirit of adventure and abandon with which free jazz at its best infused freshness into jazz. Recording with a pianoless quartet that used Ron Carter’s cello as the other melody instrument, Dolphy worked from chord patterns developed within structures that depart from ordinary 32-bar jazz and popular song forms. He used 30-bar, 35-bar and 18-bar structures, but he also observed standard practice with 12-bar blues, “Serene.” Dolphy’s speech-like improvisations and Carter’s bowed or plucked cello solos soar over the impeccable and responsive accompaniments of bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes.

Reviews

"A thrillingly angular record that redefines what a jazz quartet can sound like—no piano, no safety net." — Pitchfork

"Dolphy sounds like he’s sketching in mid-air—every phrase on Out There is full of risk and revelation." — The Guardian

"Avant-garde, but with soul. Dolphy pushes the boundaries without ever losing the listener." — AllMusic

"This is chamber jazz for the cosmos—haunting, beautiful, and absolutely fearless." — Jazzwise Magazine

"Out There is Dolphy's mission statement: unorthodox instrumentation, bold harmonic ideas, and total commitment to exploration." — DownBeat