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Jorge Sylvester RE-IMAGINING DOLPHY [The Music of Eric Dolphy and Original Compositions]

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Jorge Sylvester RE-IMAGINING DOLPHY [The Music of Eric Dolphy and Original Compositions]

THE FREEDOM OF SOUND!

Jorge Sylvester

Feb 10, 2025

Transcript

1964 - Jorge Sylvester playing the Eb clarinet in Colon, Panama, Escuela Pablo Arrosemena…….

The Freedom of Sound! was my first influence in playing any type of music. Way back in Colon, Panama when I first started to developed my concept on what it was to be an original, I started arranging my compositions for my first Caribbean Dance Band, Los Caballeros De Colon lead me to think about doing it different, creating my own sound. Early when I was 17 years old I remember that during those days, time and places, most of the dace bands were following a formula in order to get those gigs and so on……. They were very few bands like mine and Los Papasitos, a group created by my friend Tille Valderrama was also an original sound. Our Caribbean Dace Bands were also influenced by “Jazz” concepts. I’m talking late 60’s mid 70’s.

I will always follow my Inner Ear, my Imagination since that time….. I did not follow formulas, I did not fallow what was the norm or the style, or the way to get the gigs.

It was always about what Duke Ellington said: “There are only two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.” My point in talking about my early years and my association with the music of Eric Dolphy is that I’ve always thought that his music, and his entire approach to improvisation was all about his original sense of rhythm and Freedom of Sound. Overall, lets not forget his incredible approach with his Intervallic freedom. All about The Sound!

My first opportunity in studying this approach was when I played a gig at Sista’s Place on November 8, 2014. April Fool - By Eric Dolphy - (Top Video) arrange by Jorge Sylvester