The Very Best of Larry Carlton

Artist: Larry Carlton
Label: Grp Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 602498620991
EAN: 0602498620991
ASIN: B0002C5Z24

Release Date: 2005-08-09

Related Categories:

General

| Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion

| Jazz | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| R&B | Styles | Music

General

| Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz

| Jazz | Styles | Music

GRP

| Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music

Tracks:

Rembering J.P.
Smiles And Smiles To Go
Things We Said Today
The B.P. Blues
The Waffer
Mourning Dove
Anthem
Hello Tomorrow
Emotions Wound Us So
Terry T.
Honey Samba

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Customer Reviews:

What is he - jazz, rock, blues? Whatever - he's one of the best.......2006-03-16

Larry Carlton is all these things. In my mind he is sort of king of the B-list jazz guitarists, consistently good but not a groundbreaker like Metheny, McLaughlin, or Benson. This album illustrates what is great about him - his tremendous versatility.

Larry first came to my attention listening to Steely Dan back in the 80's, with his wonderfully constructed, biting solos on songs like Third World Man (Gaucho). This was rock guitar elevated to the state of art, bittersweet, just bluesy enough you can relate to it. (Too bad that song is not on this collection.) In this album, you hear some of that same, wonderful texture in his version of the Beatles' Things We Said Today. As the liner notes point out, Larry demonstrates his solid jazz chops in several other places. He shines best in the opener Remembering J.P. (he must mean Jaco P.), and the closer, Terry T., the last one bluesier than the first. If it's solid blues you want, then you can hear it in the B.P. Blues, which also includes a nice, muted trumpet solo by Jerry Hay. Larry also has his easy-jazz side, demonstrated nicely on Smiles and Smiles to Go, one of the most cheerful songs you could want to hear, and the very gentle Hello Tomorrow. And of course he has a fusion side, in the rollicking Anthem, a well-named song with its strong theme and variations; he reminds me of the Dixie Dregs here. The most unusual song here is The Waffer, sort of a funky blues with a guitar texture described perfectly by the title.

Above all, Larry Carlton is one of the best guitar soloists, not just for his technical skills but for his ability to plan ahead and resolve a story line built into each of his solos. They don't meander. Let me add that Larry is an excellent composer, he wrote most of these tunes and they never let you down. He has resisted categorization, and has apparently been happy to be this multi-faceted player, excellent at so many things but not a leader in much of anything. If it makes him happy, then great! This is an excellent album, obviously giving you something for whatever mood you're in.

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Brain on Drugz ~ Boodah & the Bandit

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter ~ Joni Mitchell

Forty ~ Thomas Dolby

Wavy Gravy! ~ The Mad Daddy

Medium Rare ~ Rick Wakeman

Much Missed Man: Tribute to John Lennon ~ Gerry Marsden

Collection ~ Men at Work and Friends

The Great Lost Album! ~ The Knickerbockers

The Plantation ~ Homicide

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