AllMovie

American Eric Dolphy (1928-1964) was a clean-cut, clean-living, gifted musician and composer, whose life was cut down in its prime by the sudden onset of a diabetic coma, which was initially misdiagnosed because he was a black jazz musician. The authorities in Berlin couldn't imagine that his sudden seizure during a concert could have been caused by anything other than drugs. This documentary focuses on the life, music and ambitions of that extraordinary performer, whose virtuoso avant-garde solos on the bass clarinet, alto saxophone, and flute stunned his fellow musicians and provoked a storm of controversy among musical traditionalists. Among those interviewed were Dolphy's fiancee, as well as many of his fellow musicians. Highlights include tapes of some of Dolphy's last performances.