This is the first page of a transcription I did for fun, of Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet solo on John Coltrane's "Naima". It is now available on the "Coltrane: The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings" on Impulse.This 4-CD set has lots of wild and wonderful music. I loved this solo when I first heard it in 1980, on the 2-record set "Trane's Modes".

The performance is from November 1, 1961.

To get the low concert Eb often used in the solo on my guitar, I tuned the guitar 1/2 step below standard pitch,. This also allowed me to conceptualize the piece based on an E pedal (rather than concert Eb), which feels more "guitaristic".

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David Wild's original liner notes state:

" The 'Naima' released here is unexpectedly strange, in that Coltrane playes an inverted variant of his familiar melody. However, his previous recording contract prohibited him from re-recording the composition at this time, and only by modifying the theme could this group's performance be taped. Dolphy is on bass clarinet, an ungainly instrument which he could play with saxophone-like fluency, and Tyner is strong yet delicate, crystalline."

The note choices, wide intervals and beautiful phrasing are all characteristic of Eric Dolphy's expressive, fluid and often very funny playing.If you are familiar with Allan Holdsworth's miraculous guitar style, you'll hear his connection to Dolphy and Coltrane.

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