Larry Carlton

A hugely successful guitarist and composer, Larry Carlton rose out of the Los Angeles studio milieu during the closing years of the 1960s and later established himself as a leading contemporary jazz figure. His lithe technique, sweet-toned blues-inflected sound, and signature deployment of volume pedals drew early attention when he joined the Crusaders, the crossover jazz and R&B ensemble that had recently shortened its name. Session demands quickly multiplied, leading him to appear on as many as 500 albums annually and contributing to more than 100 gold-certified releases. Among the dozens of artists who benefited from his work throughout the 1970s and early 1980s were Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt.

Although Carlton had issued several LPs under his own name beginning in 1968, a major-label deal arrived only in 1978 when Warner Bros. signed him; he would remain with the company for an extended series of solo projects. During the same span he ventured into scoring for film and television, earning the first of four Grammy Awards for his contribution to the Hill Street Blues theme. With more than thirty albums bearing his name and a steady touring calendar, he continues to rank among the most respected and frequently requested performers.

Born in Torrance, California, Carlton started guitar lessons at age six. His debut professional engagement occurred at a supper club in 1962. Exposure to Joe Pass via radio prompted a shift toward jazz and blues, soon augmented by the influences of Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel; B.B. King and additional blues players further shaped his approach. While enrolled at a local junior college and later at Long Beach State College for one year—until the close of the Vietnam War—he refined his craft in greater Los Angeles clubs and studios. A 1968 tour with the Fifth Dimension preceded regular session work that began in 1970, encompassing dates with Vikki Carr, Andy Williams, and the Partridge Family.

In 1971, shortly after the Crusaders dropped “Jazz” from their moniker, Carlton accepted an invitation to join and stayed until 1976. Between road commitments he maintained a prolific studio schedule across every genre, yet it was during his Crusaders tenure that his hallmark, highly rhythmic and frequently bluesy approach crystallized. His self-titled Warner Bros. debut appeared in 1978, shortly after his widely noted guitar work on Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam, most prominently the solo on “Kid Charlemagne.”

Four further Warner Bros. releases followed—Strikes Twice (1980), Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (1982), and the Grammy-nominated Friends (1983)—before he departed the label. He simultaneously expanded into television and film scoring, supplying music for Against All Odds and Who’s the Boss? and the Hill Street Blues theme, which captured the 1981 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Session obligations and touring persisted; in 1986 MCA issued the all-acoustic Discovery, featuring an instrumental reading of Michael McDonald’s “Minute by Minute,” which earned the 1987 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. The live set Last Nite, released the same year, brought another Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.

While preparing On Solid Ground for MCA, Carlton was shot in the throat by gun-wielding juveniles outside Room 335, his private studio near Burbank, California. The wound shattered his vocal cords and inflicted severe nerve damage; nevertheless, through rigorous rehabilitation and determined outlook he finished the album in 1989. He subsequently founded Helping Innocent People (HIP), a nonprofit organization supporting victims of random gun violence.

Despite the prolonged hospitalization and recovery that followed the late-’80s shooting, Carlton sustained an intensive recording and performance schedule across the ensuing two decades. The GRP label issued Kid Gloves (1992), Renegade Gentleman (1993), Larry & Lee (1995, with Lee Ritenour), and The Gift (1996). Christmas at My House, a holiday collection, appeared on MCA in 1995. In 1997 he succeeded Lee Ritenour in Fourplay, making his first appearance on the group’s 4 album the following year.

The 2000s kept Carlton equally engaged as both leader and collaborator across multiple imprints. Warner Bros. released Fingerprints (2000), featuring guest contributions from Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Kirk Whalum, and Vinnie Colaiuta, followed by Deep Into It (2001). Live in Osaka, recorded with Steve Lukather and issued on Favored Nations in 2001, and Live in Tokyo, recorded with Robben Ford and released on 335 Records in 2007, documented his popularity in Japan. Bluebird/RCA delivered Sapphire Blue (2004) and Fire Wire (2005). The Jazz King, recorded with an all-star ensemble performing music Carlton composed to mark the 80th birthday and coronation of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, came out on Sony BMG in 2008. He served as guest guitarist on selected dates of Steely Dan’s 2009 U.S. summer tour. Take Your Pick, a collaboration with Tak Matsumoto, surfaced in 2010.

In 2011 Carlton saluted Philly soul architects Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff on Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia and contributed to vocalist Michele Pillar’s holiday album I Hear Angels Calling. Four Hands & a Heart, Vol. 1 appeared in 2012, with the holiday companion Four Hands & a Heart Christmas following in 2014. Subsequent years found him touring extensively and recording with Paul Brown, Fourplay, and the SWR Big Band. In 2018 he joined actor, comedian, and musician Harry Shearer on the Derek Smalls album Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing).