This release will have fans of
Eric Dolphy salivating as it includes some long-lost work that jazz scholars didn't know existed at all. When the premiere reissue producer Michael Cuscuna researched all known Pacific Jazz tapes attributed to
Chico Hamilton, all he came across were three edited numbers from this session, two of which had appeared on a compilation and another only on a DJ sampler. But this release is due to the luck of a Canadian resident who was digging through a used record bin in his hometown of Brighton, England, where he found a copy of The Ellington Suite with the personnel listed from a later session and a near mint blank test pressing of what turned out to be the long lost
Chico Hamilton original version with
Dolphy. While producer Richard Bock may have thought
Dolphy's playing was at times too radical, history proves him wrong. His mellow alto sax is a key ingredient of "In a Sentimental Mood," while his unique phrasing is central to the swinging "Just A-Sittin'and A-Rockin'."
Dolphy's flute is not as aggressive as it would be in the next few years, but his playing on "Everything but You" provides a preview of what was to come later in his career.
Dolphy's clarinet weaves underneath Nate Gershman's arco cello solo in the lovely "Day Dream." Of course, the work of guitarist
John Pisano, bassist
Hal Gaylor, and the leader should not be ignored, as their musicianship is of the highest order, too.
Chico Hamilton's pianoless chamber jazz recordings for Pacific Jazz between 1955 and 1959 are important landmarks, but the discovery of this long-lost date adds to his many achievements. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden