1999 Pichon Condrieu

One of my favorite bits of music is a Eric Dolphy version of “Hi Fly” from a session in 1961. The song is a two note ditty by Randy Weston- simplicity itself. And in this cut, Dolphy does a duet with a solid but not spectacular bassist, Chuck Israels. That’s it, just bass and flute, a two note song. After stating the theme, Dolphy launches off into the precise and fractally intricate solos he was famous for, exploring every bit of the flute’s range and tonality. But he never loses the focus of the story this solo is telling- every note is placed exactly where it needs to be.

SY (5/02)