Out There (Eric Dolphy album)

Out There is an album by Eric Dolphy which was released by Prestige Records in September 1961. It features Dolphy in a quartet with bassists Ron Carter (here playing cello) and George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes. It was Dolphy's second album as a leader, released following his time with Charles Mingus.

The album features four original compositions by Dolphy, one of which is a collaborative effort with Mingus. The album also features three covers, "Eclipse" by Mingus, "Sketch of Melba" by Randy Weston and "Feathers" by Hale Smith. The cover features a painting by Richard Jennings, known as "Prophet".

Dolphy's group on Out There resembles the late 1950s ensembles of Chico Hamilton, with whom Dolphy played and recorded during that time, in that it features both a cello and a bass; however, unlike Hamilton's group, Dolphy's does not contain a guitar or other chordal instrument. As a result, Dolphy and Ron Carter solo over bass and drums only, helping to give the album a freer, more open sound when compared to Dolphy's previous album, Outward Bound, which featured pianist Jaki Byard. On the other hand, the presence of the cello lends the album a chamber music feel.

"Eclipse" from this album is one of the rare instances where Dolphy solos on B♭ clarinet. Out There is one of Carter's earliest appearances on record.