The music scholar and author discusses Jazz Revolutionary, his groundbreaking biography of Eric Dolphy, and how the revolutionary multi-instrumentalist navigated artistic boundaries from 1940s Los Angeles to the avant-garde jazz scene of the early 1960s.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On author Jonathon Grasse. His new book, Jazz Revolutionary, traces Eric Dolphy’s journey from the clubs of 1940s Los Angeles to his groundbreaking work in New York’s avant-garde jazz scene.
Eric Dolphy’s revolutionary voice in jazz was silenced far too soon. He was an artist who pushed the boundaries of what was possible on alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet, collaborating with giants like John Coltrane and Charles Mingus before his tragic death in 1964 at the age of 36. Jonathan’s intimate portrait reveals the innovative musician and the gracious human being remembered by those who knew him.
Enjoy the show.
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[00:01:21] The Biographer's Approach - Technical Understanding vs. Journalistic Style
[00:04:10] Reflections on McCoy Tyner and the Ethics of Late-Career Interviews
[00:05:47] Timeline Discoveries and Historical Clarifications
[00:08:58] Los Angeles Years - The Foundations of an Artist
[00:13:20] Professional Development in a Changing LA Scene
[00:15:16] Third Stream and Gunther Schuller's Influence
[00:20:04] The Coltrane Connection - Beyond the Bandstand
[00:26:12] Village Vanguard Legacy and Historical Impact
[00:30:20] Rediscovery Through Historical Recordings
[00:33:01] Musical Identity - Leader, Sideman, Revolutionary
[00:35:30] Cultural Context of the Early 1960s
[00:39:33] Multi-Instrumentalism and Musical Evolution
[00:42:54] Final Days - The Personal and the Professional
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Purchase Jonathon Grasse's Jazz Revolutionary: The Life & Music of Eric Dolphy from Jawbone Press → http://jawbonepress.com/jazz-revolutionary
Bookshop → https://bookshop.org/p/books/jazz-revolutionary/21199988
Powell's → https://www.powells.com/book/jazz-revolutionary-9781916829084
Barnes & Noble → https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jazz-revolutionary-jonathon-grasse/1145147082
or Amazon → https://a.co/d/hnJJosE
For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com
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