Eric Dolphy – Out To Lunch!

Hello!
Trying to ID my copy before selling it:
All the info matches the record, with the exception of the "P" on the run-out. Information/details on all of the other listings do not match the copy I have either. If anybody has ever encountered this, or has information about what pressing this could be, please message or respond.

Thanks,

The funniest thing about being a Jazz fan is that none of my friends are really sure of what Jazz is, or how to relate to it, where I must it that there are times when I’m a bit confused myself. That being said, the exploration has never been anything other than satisfying; hearing how other artist’s work dovetails into other’s expressions has been a constant source of joy.

This body of work by Eric Dolphy, ‘Out To Lunch’ is one of those odd little pieces of music that boarders on several styles and genres. At just thirty-six, Eric was writing and playing some of the most original electric material ever to be laid down. At times it has a late 50’s early 60’s swing feel to it, while at other times it seems very futuristic and experimental. This was the era when he did his finest and most prolific work ... the temperamental Mingus saw Dolphy in the same light as Miles Davis did of Coltrane, calling him “ ... a Saint.” While this may seem like a wildly bold statement, ‘Out To Lunch’ is one of the finest records of its kind, the record easily sits on the same shelf as ‘A Love Supreme’ and ‘The Shape Of Jazz To Come.’ The album is forthright and edgy, yet at the same time there is an undercurrent of that flows with a sense of sereneness, and while not quite soft, there is an element that feels exceptionally comfortable.

There are few bandleaders like Dolphy, and he certainly learned from the best. He doesn’t just allow, but encourages his mates to find the magic within themselves, driving them to produce chords that run right to the edge of of the cliff, dangling there with jagged riffs and sounds that shake the boundaries of Jazz. This body of work is more than a construction, this is a journey into the creation of Jazz soundscapes like those never heard before ... effortlessly tying together Jazz and the Avant Garde. Yet it is only through Dolphy’s masterful control, that you can feel his ion, resting comfortably in the knowledge that no matter how far out he gets, his path is more than well articulated.

Eric’s work has not been estranged by that that came before him, and in taking things one step further we get totally new insights as he builds on the bebop masters. This record is more than layered, it has actual texture ... and this comes form his embracing of nature. Unlike Cecil Taylor, who was a great influence, Dolphy strives for natural, and by that I mean sounds from nature, such as his imitation of birds, wind, flight, heat, and the most splendid domino aspect of fields of wheat or grass blowing in patterns with the breezes. Even with all of his freedom, and Avant Garde intonations, at the core of his being is traditional structure ... and it is his ability to play off this, that allows his music to resonate with the listener, taking the listener out, and then bringing them back, yet not quite all the way ... sort of an everlasting dangling conversation.

A great adventure not to be missed on so many levels. I was truly touched by this recording in a way I can not express ... I can only say without a doubt, that true ion transcends all else.

*** I've been lucky enough to hear this recording both in the Stereo and Mono formats, and I must say that there is a sparkle in the Mono recording that just seems to speak with a different accent. Neither is better than the other, they both just exist in their own space.