My Memory of Eric Dolphy
This is taken from My Memory of the US - Sadao Watanabe at Tokyo International Audio Show in 2011.
My Memory of Eric Dolphy by Sadao Watanabe (Jazz Saxophonist)
It was 1962 when I first went to the US.
When I got to the airport, Ms.Toshiko Akiyoshi came to pick me up.
On the same day at night, Toshiko invited me to come to the famous Five Spot Cafe in NY where she would play in the Charles Mingus band. She told me to come with my saxophone.
When I got to the Five Spot Cafe with Toshiko, Mingus welcomed me well. I guess, at that time, there was no Asian Jazz saxophonist, so, Mingus was curious. With Mingus, Charlie McPerson (alto sax) was there, and Ted Curson (trumpet) was there too.
When they started playing, Mingus told me to join them. But...you know, Mingus songs were really complex and all were his original...I thought to my self,
It is impossible to play with them!
But Mingus came to me and started whispering to my ear,
E Flat Minor, B Flat Major ....
The problem is, at the time Mingus whispered, that part already gone! haha. And in the middle of my panicking moment, Eric Dolphy just came in and joined us.
When Dolphy started blowing his alto, I was blown away by his sound! I never heard that powerful, and dynamic alto all of my life! I felt like the entire house was shaking!
The following night, I was invited to go to the Half Note Cafe where I was fortunate to listen to Phil Woods playing. Again, I was blown away by his powerful, dynamic sound! I used to think to myself, I am a powerful player but since this day, I have concluded - I would never be able to play powerful like these legendary saxophonists.
Well after all, with the help of Toshiko, I became really close to Dolphy, Woods and Jonny Hodges.
After I moved to Boston, Dolphy and Hodges came to see me. And Hodges came to play with me at a night club where I was playing. There, he blowed his alto and suddenly stopped and disappeared. As I was observing, it was not one time, but again and again he did the same you know...
He played little and stopped suddenly and disappeared.
After my careful observation, what Hodges was doing behind the scene is
Hunting girls!!
To tell the truth, I was upset to see that. But...as I carefully listened to his sound, even with those periodical intervals while hunting girls, his timing and phrasing were just perfect!! What a talent!! After all, he gave me a great lesson that night.
What are you doing Hodges!? haha. That is a bold act! I just smiled when I was watching Sadao talking. I always wish I was there back in those golden days of Jazz!! by Takashi
