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From The Desk Of Thrice: Eric Dolphy

A dozen years into its career, Thrice is still evolving. Following 2005’s experimental/atmospheric Vheissu and four-part concept album The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II (2007) and Vols. III & IV (2008), the California quartet—vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue, guitarist/engineer Teppei Teranishi and Breckenridge brothers Eddie (bass) and Riley (drums)—has issued the edgier, hard-rock-leaning Beggars (Vagrant). On paper, such a description might make you believe the LP is a return to the post-hardcore days of Thrice’s first three albums, though Beggars is far more mature and varied than that. Unfortunately, the record was leaked in July, forcing the band to change the release date and marketing plan for Beggars, but Thrice seems to have come out of all this extracurricular drama unscathed. As the foursome prepares for its upcoming U.K. tour, they are also guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with them.

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Ed Breckenridge: My introduction to Eric Dolphy was through a history-of-jazz class in college. Art Davis, a jazz musician himself, taught the class of the history of jazz and the way new sounds and artists developed. When the lessons moved to bass clarinetist/flautist Dolphy, it raised my bow quite a bit. I was told he had a big part in the free-jazz and avant-garde push in jazz music, and that his style was heavily influenced by the sounds of nature, including animal sounds—specifically birds. Birds??? “I gotta hear this,” I thought to myself. It’s totally apparent in his music that he was coming from somewhere other than most of the musicians of his day, especially with the guttural sounds that he could make with the bass clarinet and the expression he added to his playing. Now don’t get me wrong, his records aren’t just a bunch of squaks and ridiculous noises. He was tasteful with his experimentation, and he used the animal-like influences to express his music in raw, almost tribal fashion at times. His last album, Out To Lunch! (specifically the song “Something Sweet, Something Tender”), is one of my favorites. Dolphy worked with many other artists aside from composing himself, such as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus and Oliver Nelson. Like many brilliant jazz musicians, Dolphy lead a short life, dying just after he turned 36, but this wasn’t a drug-induced death, this was different. The rumor is that he was such a purist that he would only drink milk and eat honey, causing him to become diabetic. Please don’t quote me on this because I did hear it as rumor, though I do know for a fact that he died of diabetic complications. If you are into the more experimental side of jazz or just experimental music in general, I highly suggest you check Dolphy’s music out.

2 replies on “From The Desk Of Thrice: Eric Dolphy”

Dude, that’s some solid jazz. I used to think Sorcerer and Bitches Brew were my favorite jazz records, but now I gotta check this out!

Thanks Ed

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