Dolphy Tunes


RECORDINGS BY ERIC DOLPHY OF HIS OWN COMPOSITIONS

TITLES RECORDING DATESCOMMERCIAL ISSUES
April Fool 1960/April 1 Prestige 7382, 9PRCD44182
Baron, The 1960/August 15 NJLP8252, 9PRCD44182
Burning Spear: (see Half Note Triplets)
Far Cry: (see Out There)
G.W. (take 1) 1960/April 1 Prestige MPP2517, 9PRCD44182
G.W. (take 2) 1960/April 1 NJLP8236
G.W. 1961/August 30 Enja 3007,IC-3017,R279636(CD)
G.W. 1961/September 5 Enja 3055, IC-3007
G.W. 1962/October 7 Unique Jazz UJ10
G.W. 1962/November 20 Unissued
G.W. 1964/June 11 West Wind WW016, Jazzway 1502
Gazzeloni 1964/February 25 Blue Note 84163
Half Note Triplets1963/April 18 Enja 5045-2, GM3005(CD)
Half Note Triplets (as Burning Spear) 1963/July 3 Douglas 785
Hat & Beard 1964/February 25 Blue Note 84163
Hat & Beard 1964/February 25 Blue Note ST-84163
In the Blues (3 takes) 1961/September 8 Prestige 7366, 9PRCD44182
Inner Flight (2 takes) 1960/November 19 Blue Note 85131, CDP48041
Iron Man 1963/March 10 Blue Note 99826
Iron Man 1963/April 18 Enja 5045-2, GM3005(CD)
Iron Man 1963/July 3 Douglas 785
Lady E 1959/May 20 Jazz Vault 111, Sesac 2901/2
Les 1960/April 1 NJLP8236, 9PRCD44182
Les 1961/September 3 Enja 3055, IC-3007
Les (as Miss Ann) 1961/September 8 Prestige 7350, 9PRCD44182
Les 1964/May 28 Musidisc PAM970
Mandrake (= Madrig...) 1963/July 3 Douglas 785
Mandrake (as The Madrig Speaks, the Panther Walks) 1964/June 2 Limelight 86013,Fontana 822226
Miles' Mode (= Red Planet, see note below) 1961/11/01 Impulse IZ9361/2
Miles' Mode (= Red Planet, see note below) 1961/11/03 Impulse IMPD4-232
Miles' Mode (= Red Planet, see note below) 1962/02/10 Ozone 10, Unique Jazz UJ26
Miles' Mode (= Red Planet, see note below) 1963/03/10 Impulse IMPD4-232
Miss Ann 1960/December 21 NJLP8270, 9PRCD44182
Miss Ann 1961/September 3 Enja 3055, IC-3007
Miss Ann 1961/September 5 TV broadcast
Miss Ann (2 takes) 1961/September 6 (unissued)
Miss Ann 1962/October 7 Unique Jazz UJ10
Miss Ann 1964/June 2 Limelight 86013,Fontana 822226
Miss Movement 1959/February 4 Warner Bros.1344,Atlantic 4671
Number Eight (see Potsa Lotsa)
Out There (= Far Cry) 1960/August 15 NJLP8252, 9PRCD44182
Out There (as Far Cry) 1960/December 21 NJLP8270, -
Out to Lunch 1964/February 25 Blue Note 84163
Potsa Lotsa (= #8) 1961/July 16 Prestige 7334, 9PRCD44182
Prophet, The 1961/July 16 NJLP8260, 9PRCD44182
Red Planet: (see Miles' Mode, and note below)
Serene 1960/August 15 NJLP8252, 9PRCD44182
Serene 1960/December 21 Prestige MPP2517, -
Serene 1961/September 3 Enja 3055, IC-3007
Serene 1961/September 5 Enja SPE-1
Serene 1964/May 28 Musidisc PAM970
Serene 1964/June 11 West Wind WW016, Jazzway 1502
17 West 1960/August 15 NJLP8252, 9PRCD44182
Something Sweet, Something Tender 1964/February 25 Blue Note 84163
South Street Exit 1963/March 10 Blue Note 7243 4 99826 2 8
South Street Exit 1964/June 2 Limelight 86013,Fontana 822226
Springtime 1964/June 11 West Wind WW016,2063
Straight Up & Down 1964/February 25 Blue Note 84163
Strength with Unity 1964/March 1 or 2 New World Records unissued
The Madrig Speaks the Panther Walks: (see Mandrake)
Triple Mix 1960/November 19 Jazzway 1502
245 (take 1) 1960/April 1 Prestige MPP2517, 9PRCD44182
245 (take 2) - NJLP8236, -
245 (as The Meeting) 1961/August 30 Enja 3007,IC-3017,R279636(CD)
245 1961/September 4 Serene SER-03(CD)
245 (incomplete) 1962/October 7 Unique Jazz UJ10
245 1964/June 11 West Wind WW016

NOTE: When the piece titled "Miles' Mode" was first issued on the album "Coltrane" on Impulse A(S)21 in 1962, many listeners felt strongly that it was a Dolphy composition, or at least inspired by Dolphy. Some years later, Vladimir Simosko learned it was accepted as a Dolphy composition, originally titled "Red Planet", by many hard-core jazz contacts, and in fact the composition appeared on the February 1962 Birdland broadcast, and twice in the November 1961 Vanguard sets, with that title (changed to "Miles' Mode" for later issues). More recently, Alan Saul learned that the manuscript of "Red Planet" was sent by Hale Smith to the Dolphys, and passed along to Gunther Schuller along with Strength with Unity and Love Suite, and a version with brass section backing was performed by Dolphy's group at the March 1963 Illinois concert, still titled "Red Planet". The composition (from 3/10/63, 544K) consists of a 2-bar 12-tone line ( c-e flat-f-d-g-a-b flat-a flat-c#-b-f#-e, according to Graham Connah) played forwards, then backwards, followed by 4 bars based on a modal (pentatonic) scale; a bridge that consistently seems improvised; and the opening 8 bars repeated. Whether the 12-tone line (forwards then backwards) was by Dolphy or Dolphy-inspired, remains conjectural; the rest could as easily have indeed been Coltrane's composition, as usually cited. Further discussion and samples can be checked out via this page.


Dolphy compositions for which we don't have recordings of him playing them

Love Suite Bennie Maupin Concert in France 2009
Love Suite part 1 Potsa Lotsa Plus jazzwerkstatt 147
Love Suite part 2: Trane Beauty Potsa Lotsa Plus jazzwerkstatt 147
Love Suite part 3 Potsa Lotsa Plus jazzwerkstatt 147

Date created: 8/21/96
Last modified: 4 May 2020
Originally compiled by Vladimir Simosko
Maintained by: Alan Saul
alan@adale.org