Dolphy was educated at Los Angeles City College. He come to prominence within drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet in 1958, and experienced the particularly profitable relationship using bassist Charles Mingus, beginning 1959 and continuing intermittently until Dolphy's death from either undiagnosed diabetes.

Dolphy recorded or even played by having such significant jazzman when John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, Ornette Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Andrew Hill, George Russell, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony Williams. Dolphy experienced the unique capacity to produce his instruments "speak." Charles Mingus considered Dolphy his most gifted interpreter & Coltrane described Dolphy as a simply horn streaming video player he may conceivably play by having as an match in the early Sixty's (prior to a loose jazz explosion).

Classical music played the big role around Dolphy's early how to training & remained crucial to him. Dolphy performed & recorded Edgard Varese's Density 21.5 for solo flute as well as other classical works, and participated heavily in Third Stream efforts.

Dolphy's function is every now and again classified when free jazz, though Dolphy insisted his compositions and solos were grounded around the thorough, whenever from time to time maverick utilise of harmony. He processed many solo recordings, so the rarity for woodwind instrumentalists.

Dolphy's 1964 Blue Note recording Out to Lunch is often regarded non simply when his finest, however likewise when one of a greatest free jazz recordings.

Dolphy died inside Berlin from undiagnosed diabetes on June 29, 1964.

Discography
As a leader: Truth (1959) Hot & Cool Latin (1959) Wherever I personally Last (1959) Status (1960) Dash 1 (1960) OutAttached Bound (1960) On this text & There (1960) Searching In the lead (1960) Fire Waltz (1960) More Aspects (1960) Out There (1960) A Piranha using a Latin Jazz Quintet (1960) Candid Dolphy (1960) Magic (1960) Far Cry (1960) Eric Dolphy (1960) A Quest (1961) A Swell Concert of Eric Dolphy [live] (1961) Survive! at a 5 Spot, Vol. Unity (1961) Survive! at a 5 Spot, Vol. Deuce (1962) Latin Jazz Quintet (1961) Berlin Concerts [live] (1962) Eric Dolphy around Europe, Vol. Single [live] (1961) Eric Dolphy inside Europe, Vol. Ii (1961) Eric Dolphy within Europe, Vol. Triplet (1961) Copenhagen Concert [live] (1961) Softly, When inside the Morning Sunrise (1961) Quartet 1961 (1961) Vintage Dolphy (1962) Conversations (1963) Ironman (1963) Jitterbug Waltz (1963) A Illinois Concert [live] (1963) Out to Lunch (1964) Previous Date (1964) Naima (1964) Unfulfilled Tapes (1964)

Chico Hamilton A Original Ellington Suite (1958)

Charles Mingus Mingus Revisted [aka Pre-Bird] (1960) Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (1960) Mingus at Antibes (1960) Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963) Town Hall Concert (1964) A Nifty Concert of Charles Mingus (1964) Retaliation! (1964)

Ornette Coleman Yours free! Jazz: The Collective Improvisation (1960)

Oliver Nelson ''Screamin' a Blues (1960) The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961) Straight Leading (1961)

John Coltrane Olé Coltrane (1961) Africa/Brass (1961) Survive at a Village Vanguard (1961) Impressions (One Track, "India") (1963)

Andrew Hill Point of Departure (1964)