Review: Looking Ahead – Ken McIntyre & Eric Dolphy’s Boundary-Pushing OJC/Craft Recordings Reissue on 180g Vinyl

Craft Recordings has been digging deep into the vaults again, and the latest OJC reissue drop might be the most interesting one yet. Yes, Bill Evans is back (again) and Wayne Shorter finally gets his Introducing moment in the OJC spotlight. But let’s not bury the lede — the wild card here is Looking Ahead, the 1960 duet release from Ken McIntyre and Eric Dolphy. If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like when two of the most fearlessly adventurous horn players of the era lock themselves in a room and try to bend jazz into something weirder and more personal, this record is your answer.

This isn’t jazz for wine sippers or background playlists — it’s angular, brainy, and more than a little unruly. In other words: absolutely worth your time.

Each release in this latest OJC batch stays firmly rooted in the series’ audiophile-grade reputation. Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio handles the AAA mastering directly from the original stereo tapes — and if you’ve spun any of his recent work, you know you’re in good hands.

Pressed at RTI on 180-gram vinyl and housed in tip-on jackets that lovingly recreate the original artwork, these reissues aren’t just sonic upgrades — they’re physical tributes to some of jazz’s most iconic moments. And for those living the hi-res life, all six titles will also drop in 24-bit/192kHz digital on release day, so no one’s left behind — unless you’re still clinging to that Crosley.

Looking Ahead: When Ken McIntyre Met Eric Dolphy and Things Got Seriously Weird (in a Good Way)

Ken McIntyre’s Looking Ahead might’ve been his debut as a bandleader after finishing up at the Boston Conservatory, but it doesn’t play like a freshman effort. And that has a lot to do with the not-so-secret weapon on the date: Eric Dolphy.

By 1960, Eric Dolphy wasn’t famous—yet. He was still flying under the radar, a multi-reed powerhouse just starting to make waves after cutting his teeth with Chico Hamilton. But there were signs. Big ones. The kind of angular, fearless playing that turned heads in every session. He was on the verge of joining Mingus’ Jazz Workshop, and while Coltrane and Zappa would later cite him as an influence, at this point Dolphy was still a well-kept secret—one that was about to explode onto the scene in a big way.

Eric Dolphy was the gateway drug I didn’t see coming. Alongside Stanley Turrentine, he’s the reason I got pulled into jazz and never looked back. Without Dolphy’s wild, expressive phrasing and that untamed, brain-twisting energy—especially on bass clarinet—I might still be stuck spinning Paranoid and 2112 on loop, occasionally mixing in some Boom Boom to keep things “bluesy.” From the Prince of Darkness (RIP Ozzy) to the Wizard of Weird—and that’s a compliment as I know all about weird.

But Dolphy cracked the code wide open. His work with Mingus, Coltrane, and as a bandleader himself proved that jazz could be just as heavy, just as intense, and way more unpredictable than any power chord Sabbath ever dropped.

The album’s a bit of a sleeper masterpiece. “Lautir” doesn’t waste time—it’s angular, dissonant, and exploratory without coming off like forced weirdness. “Curtsy” follows up by flipping the script; where “Lautir” pings off the walls, this one winds in on itself with a sly melodic hook. Then they hit you with “They All Laughed,” a Gershwin cover that doesn’t just swing — it smirks. Dolphy and McIntyre are clearly having a blast here, but the chops are deadly serious.

This session is a moment. McIntyre’s coming-out party colliding with Dolphy’s creative ascent. It’s brainy without being sterile, emotional without melodrama. And if you needed another reminder that Dolphy could make the bass clarinet sound like a lead instrument from another planet — here you go.

Backing McIntyre and Dolphy is a rhythm section stacked with hard bop cred: Walter Bishop, Jr. on piano, Sam Jones holding it down on bass, and Art Taylor keeping time like a Swiss watch with street smarts. McIntyre composed five of the six tracks, flexing his Boston Conservatory chops and academic precision, while Dolphy brings the fire with his unpredictable multi-instrumental wizardry.

The result? A heady mix of structure and swing, theory and gut instinct. It’s experimental and ambitious—most of it lands with real bite, but a few moments feel like sketches more than statements. Still, it’s the kind of record that reminds you jazz is supposed to take risks.

Craft and OJC clearly didn’t half-ass this reissue. The jacket is spot-on, the pressing is quiet, and the overall clarity and transparency of the vinyl make it an easy recommendation. I had time to compare formats while driving to and from Toronto last week—after three hours of Black Sabbath, Ozzy, and the general sonic chaos of my misspent youth, switching to the 24-bit/192kHz stream on Qobuz was like rinsing my ears in cool water. Played through my car stereo via iPhone? It sounded fast, clean, and surprisingly articulate—especially for highway listening in a Toyota SUV with a Coffee Crisp melting between the seats.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Back home in NJ, spinning the vinyl on my Thorens/EAT/Ortofon/Cambridge Audio/Magnepan setup, the difference was…uh, not subtle. McIntyre’s switch to flute makes the contrast even more obvious—there’s a dimensionality and texture on the LP that the digital stream just can’t match in that kind of playback environment. Streamed? Enjoyable. Spun? Essential.

Where to buy: $38.99 at Amazon

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