045 Jonathon Grasse on Eric Dolphy

On this episode, Marc talks with Jonathan Grasse, author of “Jazz Revolutionary: The Life and Music of Eric Dolphy,” due out on October 15. It’s a thorough history of the legendary jazz multi-instrumentalist, who produced an impressive body of work both on his own and in groups led by John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, and many more, before his tragic death in 1964 at age 36. Grasse crafts the first truly comprehensive biography of Dolphy by tracing nearly every step of his music career, as well as delving deep into the releases he appeared on.

As he writes, “Jazz Revolutionary approaches the artist’s recordings as essential cultured artifacts, as primary texts..[Dophy had] a warrior-monk dedication to exploring diverse musical resources beyond what the extant jazz vocabulary provided.”

We hope you enjoy Marcs conversation with Jonathon Grasse!