Jump to content

Larry Coryell - RIP


Phil O'Keefe

Recommended Posts

  • Members

All in all not a bad way to go...73 years old, died in his sleep, just played gigs last weekend. That would work for me :)

 

We opened for the Free Spirits several times back in the 60s. Coryell was a nice guy, friendly and accomplished. Loved his playing on the early Chico Hamilton recordings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

When I was a kid in Houston, I saw Coryell as he was the opening act for someone - The Doobies maybe? This would have been 1970 give or take a year. To be honest, I couldn't make heads or tails out of what he was playing - from a very different place than the going rock scene. Not blues, sort of jazz, some rockish elements...it was a pretty heavy guitar sound, but it just didn't compute. I'm not sure the term "fusion" existed yet or if it did I knew nothing of it. I didn't think ill of him at all, I just thought my listening skills were not sophisticated enough to get the point.

 

Over the years I"ve revisited his output from time to time, and my ears eventually caught up to some degree to him - a long career - he was really unique and pretty amazing. I bet most folks here, as informed and fanatical as we all tend to be, have never heard him.

 

This track was the sort of stuff he was playing when I saw him oh so long ago - cut to around 4 min in if you want to hear him taking the lead. But then he went on to play with McClaughlin and Paco De Lucia before his drug issues led to Al Di Meola taking over his spot. Then in Foreplay (!!) which well, is not my cuppa. But what versatility - here's to your memory with respect, Mr. Coryell -

 

[YOUTUBE]5JobUVNkJmo[/YOUTUBE]

 

nat

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...