Photo: None listed / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Eric Dolphy is one of those musicians who genuinely makes you stop and rethink what a wind instrument is even capable of. Born in Los Angeles in 1928, he tore through alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute with a voice so alien and expressive it still sounds like it arrived from some parallel future. The bass clarinet in particular — an instrument most people treat as an afterthought — became something entirely new in his hands, squawking and sighing and singing in ways nobody had imagined before. His work on records like Out to Lunch and his sessions with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane cemented him as a cornerstone of avant-garde jazz. The tragedy is he died in Berlin in June 1964, just nine days past his 36th birthday, reportedly from undiagnosed diabetes — impossibly young for someone who had so clearly barely started.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Eric Dolphy
- Name (Japanese)
- エリック・ドルフィー
- Reading
- えりっく・どるふぃー
- Born
- June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Dragon
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Occupation
- composer / clarinetist / saxophonist / jazz musician / recording artist
2. Background
- High school
- Susan Miller Dorsey High School
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Eric Dolphy born?
June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964.
Where is Eric Dolphy from?
Eric Dolphy is from Los Angeles, California, United States.
What does Eric Dolphy do?
Eric Dolphy works as composer, clarinetist, saxophonist, jazz musician, recording artist.
Composer — see all → · Clarinetist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.