Quiet, Please

AMG Review of Quiet, Please

Ken Dryden
All Music Guide

Quiet, Please is a collection of recordings originally made for Candid by Eric Dolphy as a sideman with Charles Mingus, Booker Little and vocalist Abbey Lincoln. As a result, this is not really an ideal compilation to appreciate his playing, since he has a limited supporting role on these particular sessions. Most of his playing is done in the ensembles; he solos on only one of the three Little compositions ("Quiet, Please"), while he also makes a brief appearance on alto sax with Lincoln in "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do." Mingus makes better use of him in his small group arrangements, giving him solo space on alto sax in each of the three selections. While all of this music is valuable, it should be heard in its original context as the full albums were released, and not in this slipshod compilation that makes it appear to be a collection of dates under Eric Dolphy's leadership.