Eric Dolphy

Eric Dolphy was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist known for his work on alto saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. His approach combined bebop roots with avant-garde and free jazz elements, characterized by wide intervallic leaps, extended techniques, and an angular, expressive sound. Active in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he recorded as a leader and collaborated with musicians such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane before his death in 1964 in Berlin.