Eric Dolphy Quintet – Outward Bound VG+/VG+

Eric Dolphy’s debut album, Outward Bound, is a launchpad for a future legend. Released in 1960, it features the saxophonist (who also plays bass clarinet and flute on the record) alongside a stellar quintet including trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Roy Haynes. The music leans towards the established sounds of bebop, offering a glimpse of Dolphy’s mastery of tradition before he ventured into more experimental territory. Though less adventurous than his later work, Outward Bound isn’t tame. It simmers with a raw energy and a sense of exploration, pushing the boundaries of bebop with an “unorthodox balancing act” (as described by PopMatters). The tight-knit group, with Hubbard being a former roommate of Dolphy’s in New York City, fuels the album with a special kind of camaraderie, pushing each other to new heights of improvisation. Outward Bound is a captivating introduction to a soon-to-be-influential voice in jazz.