Any Larry Coryell Fans Here

[razeregal]

I was just curious because I feel in certain ways he doesnt always get the same kind of love like McLaughlin,DiMeola etc I even like the tunes where he sings i.e. Beautiful Woman-''Coryell'',Souls Dirge-"Fairyland"
So where are the rest Coryell fans at?

[friend33]

Love Larry, have a number of his albums. He's well-respected in jazz land.

[Average Joe]

I was heavily into 11th House as a teen - very overlooked band in hindsight.

His post fusion work have been a bit hit or miss, but I love an album like Shining Hour. That reading of Nefertiti in particular get to me.

[PinkStrat]

And, that first solo album of his known as "Coryell" (or AKA "1969") was the very first "jazz bible" for me. Oddly enough, I got a Telecaster when I was 15 and I began to notice that his guitar's tone was almost the same as mine on the tune called "Morning Sickness"....FUNKY SONG!!!! Then, the Gibson Super 400 entered my life shortly after & this was all due to Larry Coryell's influence--no question here whatsoever! I was completely spellbound by "The Jam With Albert" found on this record. I wore out the vinyl on this for sure. Coryell was amazing on this record...I still pull it out from time to time along with "Spaces" and "Barefoot Boy"--gotta LOVE that sharpy-point Super 400, huh? I was the only kid in high school that had a Super 400 by that point in time. Still adore Telecasters too. FYI, Larry has a new live album out from Seattle (I believe) that's quite good.

[wildogs]

Larry was king to me. Was a fan of McLaughlin and DiMeola at the same time, but Coryell's playing just resonated with me more. I thought his electric tone was terrible, but still listened to his stuff over and over. I still listen to Live at Montreaux. Man, I really wanted one of those Adamas guitars he played.

[greggorypeccary]

Amazing player. I did a workshop with him at Fur Peace Ranch last spring and he is a great teacher and really great person too.

[Flyin' Brian]

Larry was really important in the era of the Gary Burton Quartet and has earned his place at the head of the line that subsequently included players like Metheny, Abercrombie, Scofield et al.

But lately he's become a bit more derivative. He did the Wes Montgomery cover and kept it note for note. I have seen him live and he played a couple of songs in which the "improvised" choruses were note - for - note replicas of Johnny Smith solos. I wish that he's stay away from that and go back to being his own man.

[scottl]

Well, since you asked..... Please note that I do respect LC and in no way am attempting to derail or troll. Just offering up a contrary point of view.

I can't listen to most of his body of work. For me, he is frequently amateurishly sloppy. This causes a breakdown in his time feel and pocket. His lines are pretty basic and not near the level of fame and accolade he has attained. For me.

I have not heard anything I was impressed with and quite frankly walk away wondering why he is a known player.

If there were an "A" list, "B" list, and "C" list of players, he would be a "C" for me.

Maybe this is why he is not discussed much? He is certainly not in the same league as Johnny Mac, Sco, Stern, Metheny, Benson, Martino, Lagrene (check out the YouTube of Larry playing with Bireli), etc etc.

Caveat: I am not factoring in any cutting edge influence that may have occurred due to 11th House.

Sorry for the digression.

I was just curious because I feel in certain ways he doesnt always get the same kind of love like McLaughlin,DiMeola etc I even like the tunes where he sings i.e. Beautiful Woman-''Coryell'',Souls Dirge-"Fairyland"
So where are the rest Coryell fans at?

[thewalkingboss]

I've seen Larry perform a number of times. He is always good. I bought one of his books when I briefly considered learning to play jazz style, but then got too busy and put it in indefinite hold. I think he compares favorably with guys like Bruno, Wilkins, and Martino. I've seen all of them live and love them all.

[Marty s Horne]

I've seen Larry live with Gary Burton, Eleventh House, and solo acoustic and he always played great. Some of his early albums were maybe a little spotty in parts but I dug that he was going for it and not playing it safe. His "Spaces" album with McLaughlin, Cobham, and Miroslav Vitous is awesome!

[shigihara]

His "Spaces" album with McLaughlin, Cobham, and Miroslav Vitous is awesome!


yeah... i listened to that record when it came out back in the day...
it had the same impact on my life as did hendrix or mahavishnu's inner mounting flame. it's just great that larry is still alive and kickin'... last time i heard him was the trio w/ joey de francesco & mouzon...

[HammyD]

Well, since you asked..... Please note that I do respect LC and in no way am attempting to derail or troll. Just offering up a contrary point of view.

I can't listen to most of his body of work. For me, he is frequently amateurishly sloppy. This causes a breakdown in his time feel and pocket. His lines are pretty basic and not near the level of fame and accolade he has attained. For me.




That's odd because that is how I view Scofield. Nice guy. No phrasing, no intent, no vocabulary, sound is painful to listen to....

Here's an early clip of Coryell with Herbie Mann. Great solo beginning at 2:40. The whole Memphis Underground album is a blast to listen to,
especially Coryell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8mmclYalUY

[bigeric]

I listened to Larry when he was in the eleventh house. He was amazing then. Larry had a hard time with drugs and alcohol. I have seen him carried on and off stage numerous times back in the day. The last time I saw him play was at the Bottom Line in NYC. That must of been around 78 or so. After the third tune he kept looking at his watch. He seemed very bored. I never was able to listen to him again. I just lost all interest. I think his addictions really darkened his very bright talent. Music is tough game and she plays for keeps.......

[Blanket Jackson]

LOVE LC! Seen him once or twice with the band, but also got to see him a few years ago do a solo gig at a Borders. It was pretty special.

[KRosser]

Larry was my first jazz guitar teacher. Much love & respect.

[mad dog]

Longtime fan here. Saw 11th House many times. Got to meet Larry in the late '90s at one of his NYC gigs. He's relatively under the radar for such a powerful, talented player.

[Ginglymus]

He opened me up to jazz and I still dig his music, one particular bit on a daily basis. A melodic lead line (it might have been Phillip Catherine's as they were trading off a lot) from "Transvested Express" on Back Together Again has been my ultimate ear worm. I used to listen to that album 30 years ago and, until now, that one little lick starts up in my head, oh, about twice a day. ...no exaggeration. :nuts

I tap out the notes on one hand, or alter the time signature, usually when I'm walking or driving. It's a simple melody with a nice bounce to it. Very catchy!

:aok

[mc5nrg]

Those Twin House LPs with Catherine are nice.

[roadfilm]

He opened me up to jazz and I still dig his music, one particular bit on a daily basis. A melodic lead line (it might have been Phillip Catherine's as they were trading off a lot) from "Transvested Express" on Back Together Again has been my ultimate ear worm. I used to listen to that album 30 years ago and, until now, that one little lick starts up in my head, oh, about twice a day. ...no exaggeration. :nuts

I tap out the notes on one hand, or alter the time signature, usually when I'm walking or driving. It's a simple melody with a nice bounce to it. Very catchy!

:aok

Wow that's freaky, the same lick pops into my head all the time too and I also tap out the notes. I saw the "Coryell/Mouzon Back Together Again" tour at The Ivanhoe in Chicago. I was just a teenager but for some reason they let me in. I was 16 at the most and they had a two drink minimum. I believe I had two whiskey sours. The version of "Transvested Express" on "Twin House" is awesome as well. And yes, I'm a big Larry fan.

[fredgarvin]

Always dug him. I think Shining Hour is the last thing i bought. I saw him a couple of times, opening for Return to Forever once. Very good, influential player. I wish I could play that well.

[Ginglymus]

Wow that's freaky, the same lick pops into my head all the time too and I also tap out the notes. I saw the "Coryell/Mouzon Back Together Again" tour at The Ivanhoe in Chicago. I was just a teenager but for some reason they let me in. I was 16 at the most and they had a two drink minimum. I believe I had two whiskey sours. The version of "Transvested Express" on "Twin House" is awesome as well. And yes, I'm a big Larry fan.

Cool story. (I used to live in Des Moines, and then Chicago for awhile. I was lucky enough to meet Chick Corea during a break when he played a campus gig up in Ames. I was in the front row and so close I could have touched Mike Miller's amp with my foot.)

That is freaky. I wonder if it's the exact same riff. The one that I carry with me is a major pentatonic pattern played on acoustic.

[roadfilm]

Cool story. (I used to live in Des Moines, and then Chicago for awhile. I was lucky enough to meet Chick Corea during a break when he played a campus gig up in Ames. I was in the front row and so close I could have touched Mike Miller's amp with my foot.)

That is freaky. I wonder if it's the exact same riff. The one that I carry with me is a major pentatonic pattern played on acoustic.

I'm guessing the Corea show was at the Maintenance Shop on the Ames campus. I saw him there at least twice. We probably sat right next to each other.
I saw a Coryell/Urbaniak show there that blew my mind. If you remember the place they didn't have any bathrooms in the club itself you had to go out into the bigger building to find a place to go. Anyways, I beeline it to the can as soon as they break for encore, not five seconds later both Larry and Micheal Urbaniak come running into the restroom, they're at both urinals on either side of me taking a piss, Urrbaniak still had his violin in his left hand. They were both laughing their asses off about something. After the show I decided, "hell we kinda know each other after the bathroom thing" so I just walk into their dressing room. Some guy from the University kinda freaked and asked Larry if it was alright if I came in and he was just, "you bet, come on in, how ya doin'". I hung out for a good hour. Probably the coolest experience I've had meeting people I consider famous.

[Ginglymus]

That's an even better story!
I was there in 1993 with a friend from LA who knew Chick through Scientology, and had apparently done some babysitting for him and Gayle Moran. Heading up to Ames, I felt pretty nervous at the prospect of being introduced to such a great musician. I remember hoping he wouldn't feel intruded upon. After the first set we met and chatted for a couple of minutes and then they went back on. I almost felt I was in the band, sitting so close, and with all the eye contact between those guys. Looking back, it was a thrilling evening.

[Chops]

In my formative years, I owned and loved an album by Chico Hamilton called The Dealer. I think it might have been Larry Coryell's first recording. That album swing so hards and Coryell plays in a much blusier style than his subsequent work. Later on I listened to 11th House and all that, but it was the earlier playing that really did it for me. I bought a lesson book by him a few years ago and it has been very helpfull. A great player!

[scottl]

I went back and was watching a bunch of the YouTubes from the 68-71 period. I have to say I dramatically prefer this early work to the later era. I can also see how his style was a bit unique and certainly worthy of influencing later generations.

However, I still can't take his standards jazz playing, or his generally sloppy later works.

How do you guys feel when it gets all sloppy? Am I the only one who it bothers? Just curious as for me it is nails on a chalk board.....

Please keep this amicable, I am sincerely interested in the responses. Is it only me?

[AlChuck]

I went back and was watching a bunch of the YouTubes from the 68-71 period. I have to say I dramatically prefer this early work to the later era. I can also see how his style was a bit unique and certainly worthy of influencing later generations.

However, I still can't take his standards jazz playing, or his generally sloppy later works.

How do you guys feel when it gets all sloppy? Am I the only one who it bothers? Just curious as for me it is nails on a chalk board.....

Please keep this amicable, I am sincerely interested in the responses. Is it only me?

I'm pretty much with you, Scott. There are elements to Coryell's playing I like, but the sloppiness you refer to gets to me too. There's a sort of rhythmic choppiness that he often gets into that just isn't very soulful and doesn't swing. He's also go this penchant for overbending a bit with a wavery vibrato that I find unappealing.

[KRosser]

I went back and was watching a bunch of the YouTubes from the 68-71 period. I have to say I dramatically prefer this early work to the later era. I can also see how his style was a bit unique and certainly worthy of influencing later generations.

However, I still can't take his standards jazz playing, or his generally sloppy later works.

How do you guys feel when it gets all sloppy? Am I the only one who it bothers? Just curious as for me it is nails on a chalk board.....

Please keep this amicable, I am sincerely interested in the responses. Is it only me?

I like sloppiness ;)

Seriously - Larry earned his place forever in the history books when he was a member of the Gary Burton Quartet, which was even earlier than those recordings you heard on YouTube. That group was arguably the first true 'fusion' group, a few years before Miles (Gary, Larry, Steve Swallow and either Bob Moses or Roy Haynes). Larry's playing on those records, like "Duster" and "Lofty Fake Anagram", still sounds fresh and completely original to me today. And then there's all those amazing Swallow tunes

[scottl]

Thanks Ken!! I did hear some of that stuff as well and I agree. It had a fire to it and was fresh. Later it seemed Larry went more traditional in a way and it seems that it altered what was appealing for me.

In a vacuum, just hearing the current stuff can leave one wondering a bit..... In historical context, he earned his spot.

Doesn't change that the new stuff is plain abrasive to me. Just not in time or harmonically hip. My loss I guess.

I like sloppiness ;)

Seriously - Larry earned his place forever in the history books when he was a member of the Gary Burton Quartet, which was even earlier than those recordings you heard on YouTube. That group was arguably the first true 'fusion' group, a few years before Miles (Gary, Larry, Steve Swallow and either Bob Moses or Roy Haynes). Larry's playing on those records, like "Duster" and "Lofty Fake Anagram", still sounds fresh and completely original to me today. And then there's all those amazing Swallow tunes

[Steve_2020]

I like sloppiness ;)

Seriously - Larry earned his place forever in the history books when he was a member of the Gary Burton Quartet, which was even earlier than those recordings you heard on YouTube. That group was arguably the first true 'fusion' group, a few years before Miles (Gary, Larry, Steve Swallow and either Bob Moses or Roy Haynes). Larry's playing on those records, like "Duster" and "Lofty Fake Anagram", still sounds fresh and completely original to me today. And then there's all those amazing Swallow tunes

+1. I recall seeing Larry with Gary's group in a concert situation on TV in the very early 1970s, and going...."Wow!" (more likely 'holy effword':)).

a year or two later I saw the Mahvishnu Orchestra live on their first tour, but that's another story entirely..

Larry Coryell Killed with Gary Burton.

[razeregal]

I like sloppiness ;)

Seriously - Larry earned his place forever in the history books when he was a member of the Gary Burton Quartet, which was even earlier than those recordings you heard on YouTube. That group was arguably the first true 'fusion' group, a few years before Miles (Gary, Larry, Steve Swallow and either Bob Moses or Roy Haynes). Larry's playing on those records, like "Duster" and "Lofty Fake Anagram", still sounds fresh and completely original to me today. And then there's all those amazing Swallow tunes

+1,000
That stuff plus the first 4 albums is what I meant when I originally posted to ask you guys and for the record I kinda like where he kinda get a little sloppy.It almost sounds intentional like he was trying to see if the listener was paying attention

[TNJ]

Spaces Revisited...

If he only did that CD...that would have been enough to parley a career on, IMO.
(I know Bireli did a TON of great licks on that CD, but he wasnt the only one.)
I LOVE that CD.

I, too, dig his earlier stuff as well.

He's a legend to me.

S.
j

[Frater B]

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