Still Out To Lunch: The Music of Eric Dolphy Live

Dave Hagedorn/Phil Hey/Tom Lewis/Dave Milne/Kelly Rossum
St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
February 17, 2006

On the evening of February 17th 2006, despite a snowstorm, the Twin Cities Jazz Society's “Jazz from J to Z" Concert Series continued with “Out To Lunch: The Music of Eric Dolphy Live." Dave Hagedorn, Phil Hey, Tom Lewis, Dave Milne and Kelly Rossum performed the music from Dolphy's seminal album Out To Lunch, at Saint Olaf College in Northfield for an enthusiastic crowd. On June 2nd and 3rd, they will be joined by Dave Graf as they bring the project to the Twin Cities at the Artists' Quarter in Saint Paul to perform this work again in addition to other Dolphy works. The concert will be recorded for a live CD to be released in the fall, produced by JazzPolice.com for Artists' Quarter Records.

Jazz Police and the Artists' Quarter present: “Still Out To Lunch. Music of Eric Dolphy," live at the Artists' Quarter in Saint Paul Minnesota, June 2nd and 3rd, 2006.

A live recording of both nights' performances will be made as a joint production of the Artists' Quarter and JazzPolice.com. Eric Dolphy CD's will be given away in a random drawing at the concert. The live CD is available for pre-order at www.stillouttolunch.com.

Eric Dolphy (born June 20, 1928 in Los Angeles, CA) was an influential jazz alto saxophone and bass clarinet soloist. His unique style used wide intervals and speech-like effects. Bassist Charles Mingus considered Dolphy his most talented interpreter while Coltrane described Dolphy as the only horn player he could conceivably play with as an equal. Dolphy recorded as a leader on several outings. He appeared on several Mingus albums and on many significant recordings - including Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation, Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth, and Coltrane's Live at the Village Vanguard '61.

In 1964, Dolphy recorded Out To Lunch with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, drummer Tony Williams, and bassist Richard Davis. Deeply rooted in the avant-garde, the album used unusual time signatures, and Dolphy's solos are as dissonant and unpredictable as anything ever recorded. Out To Lunch was also deeply influential for a generation of jazz players, and remains a cornerstone in the modern jazz movement. Out To Lunch remains fresh and daring as ever and is often regarded not only as Dolphy's finest recording, but also as one of the greatest jazz recordings ever. Dolphy died in Berlin of undiagnosed diabetes on June 29, 1964, weeks before Blue Note released Out To Lunch. He was 36 years old.

AllAboutMusic.com says: “Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era.“

Musicians on this project:

Dave Graf is probably best known by Minnesota audiences for his work with Red Wolfe's Ellington Echoes, the Jazz MN Big Band, and the ever-popular Salsa Del Soul. Dave Graf has depth and breadth of experience across diverse jazz styles from Dixieland to straight-ahead, from salsa to Brazil, in big bands, pit orchestras, and studio ensembles. Graf spent the early 1980s in New York, playing and recording with Charlie Persip's Superband. There he developed his Latin chops, playing with cumbia and salsa bands. Over the years he has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Jack McDuff, the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band, and the Woody Herman Orchestra. In the Twin Cities he has appeared on Prairie Home Companion, with the St. Paul Ragtime Orchestra, Mandala, Locally Damaging Winds, and the Steve Wright Big Band.

David Hagedorn is Artist in Residence in the Music Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where he teaches percussion, jazz studies, and world music. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from the Eastman School of Music, as well as various music-related degrees from the New England Conservatory and the University of Minnesota. His 2003 CD SOLIDLIQUID was released on Artegra Records. He studied and has toured nationally with George Russell and appeared on Russell's recordings So What and The African Game.

Originally from Philadelphia, drummer Phil Hey studied privately with jazz drumming giant Ed Blackwell for a number of years. Since the mid-1970s, Hey has been one of the busiest and most respected drummers in the Twin Cities. Over the years, Phil has played drums with virtually every active Twin Cities jazz musician, including groups like Eddie Berger's Jazz All Stars, Departure Point, the Chris Lomheim Trio, among countless others. Whether keeping the beat on standards with vocalist Lucia Newell, burning through bebop in groups like Mulligan Stew, or breaking down free jazz with folks like sax-man Pat Moriarty, Hey's sense of swing and versatility are welcome additions to any rhythm section. Phil has toured with Dewey Redman, Charlie Rouse and Kenny Barron. Phil also teaches percussion at Macalester College. Phil leads the Phil Hey Quartet which recently released Subduction.

Twin Cities bassist Tom Lewis, noted for his lyrical solos and musical versatility, can be heard all over town playing bebop, hard bop, free jazz, and swingin' standards. A long time member of Eddie Berger's “Jazz All Stars," Tom is currently a member of the Phil Aaron Trio, The Five, and other projects. A composer and bandleader in his own right, Tom is regularly called upon to play with visiting jazz luminaries such as Benny Golson, Mose Allison, Jim Rotondi, Slide Hampton, Lew Tabackin, Charles McPherson and others. Lewis also keeps busy as a sideman with Twin Cities musicians, as a clinician, and as a session player.

David Milne, Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, directs the UW-River Falls Jazz Ensembles I and II, and teaches Applied Saxophone, Jazz Improvisation I and II, History of Jazz, American Music, and Woodwind Performance & Pedagogy. In addition to his active career as a music educator, Milne is a professional saxophonist and composer/arranger. He holds degrees from Indiana University (BA, MM), and the Eastman School of Music (DMA).

Kelly Rossum is gaining an international reputation as a creative force in the definition of modern jazz. It's difficult to describe his style as anything but unique; combining the traditions of swing, bop, and free jazz, with the innovations of electronica, ambient, and trance music. He has appeared on over 20 recordings as well as in studio sessions for Asche & Spencer. He leads a quintet that has released a CD titled Renovation, and his group Electroplis has released an self-titled CD.

JazzPolice.com is a jazz and travel information website. JazzPolice.com has a mission of promoting the best of live jazz in local communities nationwide, particularly for travelers. This service is of benefit to traveling jazz fans that are looking to enjoy great live jazz when on the road. It also helps local jazz clubs and restaurants by sending more out-of-town dollars to their businesses. By helping people find live music we hope to help increase demand for live jazz so, as Dewey Redman recently said, “musicians can keep appearing and stop disappearing."

The Artists' Quarter is a musician owned and operated jazz club that has been a Twin Cities institution since it first opened in Minneapolis in the '70's. It has great sight lines, a great sound system, and a loyal following. The Artists' Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street St. Paul, MN 55102, Phone number (651) 292-1359.