Larry Coryell

One fine summer evening many years ago, I paid a call on a young lady.  James Taylor was scheduled to perform in Memphis and she graciously agreed to accompany me to that event.  Taylor was splendid.  His encore was ‘Fire and Rain’.  She grabbed my arm as he began to sing.  More than thirty years and two splendid children later, she is still holding on.  God has been good to me. 

As it so happens, Taylor’s warm up act was Larry Coryell.  I was already a big fan of that jazz guitar master.  Listening to him up on the stage all by himself was a special treat, even if I hadn’t been holding on to the love of my life. 

I just downloaded a recent Coryell album: Monk, Trane, Miles, & Me.  It’s very different from the Coryell recordings I listened to back then.  He was big into solo and duo music.  I have an LP of his with Philip Catherine that I wish I could get on my iPod.  The recent album is much more traditional.  The small group form continues its gravitational pull.  Here is the lineup:

1.     Bass – Santi Debriano
2.     Drums – Yoron Israel
3.     Guitar – Larry Coryell
4.     Piano – John Hicks (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7)
5.     Saxophone [Tenor] – Willie Williams (tracks: 3, 6)

I am playing the Monk piece ‘Trinkle Tinkle’ and 'All Blues'.  This is quite convincing.  Coryell is a real jazz story.  Give this one a few of your hard earned dollars.  The investment will pay off. 

Mingus & Me

One of the albums I bought when first the jazz bug bit was Charles Mingus, Three or Four Shades of Blue.  At the time I was very interested in jazz guitar.  The album appealed to me chiefly because of the presence of Larry Coryell, Philip Catherine, and John Scofield.  I can't say that I really had any clue about Mingus at the time and anyway the album is a pretty atypical in the selection of instruments.  It has a much more seventies, fusion feel than one associates with Mingus.  

However, it is pure Mingus in the power of the arrangements.  This album was also the beginning of an enduring love for Mingus' composition 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.'  I have uploaded that song.  Here is the solo order for that one song, thanks to Discogs:

Soloist [1st] – George Mraz Soloist [2nd] – Larry Coryell Soloist [3rd] – Philip Catherine Soloist [4th] – George Coleman Soloist [5th] – Charles Mingus Soloist [6th] – Larry Coryell, Philip Catherine

Meanwhile, I have been yearning to do another post on Booker Ervin.  Ervin was a wonderful tenor player with a fine number of recordings that no one but yours truly seems to know about.  I won't do it now, but I did post MDM (Monk, Duke, and Me) from Mingus' album Mingus.  Here is the lineup:

• Bass – Charles Mingus
• Clarinet [Bass] – Eric Dolphy (tracks: A1)
• Drums – Danny Richmond*
• Piano – Nico Bunick* (tracks: A1), Paul Bley (tracks: B2)
• Saxophone – Charlie McPherson* (tracks: A1)
• Saxophone [Alto] – Eric Dolphy
• Saxophone [Tenor] – Booker Ervin (tracks: A1)
• Trombone – Britt Woodman (tracks: A1), Jimmy Knepper (tracks: A1)
• Trumpet – Lonnie Hillyer (tracks: A1), Ted Curson