Larry Coryell

Larry Coryell holds a distinguished position among the originators of jazz-rock fusion, with some viewing him as the foremost figure in that regard. During the 1960s, he introduced an unconventional approach to electric jazz guitar performance, characterized by a sharp, incisive sound along with melodic lines and string manipulations drawing equally from blues, rock, and country traditions as from prior, more fluid bop styles. Remaining a versatile musician equipped with exceptional skill, he navigated nearly all genres with ease, spanning from intensely loud, heavily distorted electric performances to finely nuanced, gentle, complex passages on the acoustic instrument. Regrettably, much of his key electric recordings from the 1960s and 1970s became unavailable in digital formats due to inconsistent re-release practices by Vanguard, RCA, and similar companies, compounded by the limited recognition afforded to jazz-rock in select circles.

Coryell recalled that his passion for jazz emerged when he was four years old; three years afterward, following his family's relocation from Galveston to Washington state, he took up the guitar and absorbed techniques from albums featuring Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, and Johnny Smith. While still in his teens, he performed in a group directed by pianist Mike Mandel; in 1965, he abandoned his journalism coursework at the University of Washington to pursue opportunities as a performer in New York. Within that same year, his improvisations in Greenwich Village garnered significant notice, leading him to take Gabor Szabo's place in Chico Hamilton's ensemble. His debut recording appeared in 1966 on Hamilton's album The Dealer, showcasing his blues and rock influences prominently, and he also participated that year with the early jazz-rock outfit known as the Free Spirits. His reputation expanded notably through his involvement with Gary Burton's group during 1967 and 1968, where he delivered standout solos on Herbie Mann's widely appreciated Memphis Underground, captured in 1968. Joining with Mandel and Steve Marcus, he established the ensemble Foreplay in 1969—which bore no connection to the subsequent Fourplay—and this unit formed the foundation for the jazz-rock band Eleventh House by 1973, though a series of inconsistent albums eventually hampered its progress after an auspicious beginning.

By 1975, Coryell discontinued electric performances to focus on acoustic guitar, producing numerous duo and trio recordings alongside artists such as Philip Catherine, Emily Remler, John Scofield, Joe Beck, Steve Khan, and John McLaughlin. Throughout the middle of the 1980s, he performed on tour with McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía; additionally, in 1986 he took part in a multi-guitar event for the Jazzvisions series featuring his former influence Farlow along with Scofield, Larry Carlton, and John Abercrombie. Further collaborations included sessions with Stéphane Grappelli, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, and Kenny Barron, as well as Brazilian repertoire with Dori Caymmi for CTI, conventional jazz material for Muse, unaccompanied guitar pieces for Shanachie and Acoustic Music, and interpretations of classical works by Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov for Nippon Phonogram in Japan.

Coryell's professional activities continued unabated into the twenty-first century. Tricycles, a strong trio recording with drummer Paul Wertico and bassist Mark Egan, appeared in 2004. The following year brought Electric, on which Coryell interpreted jazz standards and rock classics accompanied by Lenny White on drums and Victor Bailey on electric bass. He issued the live performance recording Laid Back & Blues: Live at the Sky Church in Seattle in 2006, with Impressions: The New York Sessions on Chesky arriving two years subsequently. In 2011, the guitarist collaborated with several artists linked to the Bay Area's Wide Hive label on the project Larry Coryell with the Wide Hive Players. His return came in 2013 via The Lift, which featured organist Chester Thompson. Two years after that, he released his third Wide Hive album, Heavy Feel. During January 2017, Coryell revealed that he had reconvened the members of his 1970s fusion ensemble Eleventh House, among them trumpeter Randy Brecker, to create the album Seven Secrets. This recording was scheduled for release in early June of that year, accompanied by confirmed summer tour engagements across the United States. Yet after completing two weekend performances at New York City's Iridium club, Coryell passed away from heart failure in his hotel room on February 19, 2017, at the age of 73.