As a composer/soloist he created a language all his own. When listening to Dolphy, one may detect strains of Charlie Parker or even Claude Debussy, but ultimately what you’re experiencing is something that is all together different – a truly singular voice. In addition to alto saxophone, Dolphy was a pioneer in the use of flute and bass clarinet in the jazz medium. To this day, he is arguably the most significant bass clarinet soloist within the jazz pantheon.

It should be said that tonight’s concert is not merely a tribute to the great Eric Dolphy, but also serves as a testament to his legacy and ongoing influence. With this in mind, noexit asked composers Greg D’Alessio, Bobby Selvaggio, James Praznik, Paul Epstein, Timothy Beyer and Andrew Rindfleisch to give us their take on Dolphy. This program has also afforded noexit the opportunity to collaborate with some truly extraordinary jazz musicians. We are honored to include Dustin May, Scott McKee and Bobby Selvaggio as special guests on tonight’s program.

“A fine line exists between appropriating jazz into classical music and paying homage to a musician whose work defies genre. In this case, No Exit paid elegant tribute to Dolphy, balancing the notes he played with why Dolphy played them. ”
-Joshua Rosner, ClevelandClassical.com (May,2017)
“Diadore took the role of bass, locking in stunningly with May, while Tweed and Selvaggio played the melody with a beautiful blend.”
-Joshua Rosner, ClevelandClassical.com (May,2017)