 One
of the “Guitar Gods” of jazz and fusion, Larry Coryell performs at
Chicago's Jazz Showcase on December 19th-24th. Credited
with giving birth to the fusion movement of the 70s, particularly
with his band Eleventh House, Coryell will bring his heavyweight trio to Chicago,
including bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Lenny White. Together,
this trio released Electric in 2005 on Chesky Records, “must
listen for all fusion fanatics” (Abstractlogix). .
Larry Coryell was
born in Galveston, TX. After trying out several other instruments
including piano, he finally settled on the guitar in his teens, and
absorbed the influences of Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins and Chuck
Berry. Larry moved to New York City in the mid 60s where he studied
classical guitar and played with Chico Hamilton. He first gained
recognition playing with Gary Burton’s quartet. His reputation in
both jazz and rock grew as he later toured with Herbie Mann, rocker
Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin Jimmy Webb, the 5th
Dimension, Charles Mingus, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix
and Chick Corea.
With Randy Brecker, Coryell formed Eleventh House in 1974, which
became the most influential fusion band of the era. Once Eleventh
House disbanded, Larry continued to work with his own bands and the
Brecker Brothers, and in the late 70s, toured with McLaughlin and
Paco de Luca in a guitar trio.
 Victor Bailey
Larry continued his
eclectic ways through the 1980s, playing mostly acoustic guitar and
everything from jazz to rock to interpretations of classical music.
In the 90s he returned to his jazz roots as well as teaching in
upstate New York. Noted the Toronto Star, “dazzling
technique, crafty use of space and complex chord structures ...
almost orchestral in weight ... Coryell generates a great deal of
heat in his playing, an intensity matched by his obvious physical
involvement with his music ... He's really at the top of the league
in this crowded musical arena."
 Lenny White Philadelphian Victor
Bailey was surrounded by jazz and R&B musicians in his
family and started out as a drummer, switching to bass when his
regular bassist quit. A graduate of Berklee in Boston, Bailey
followed Jaco Pastorius as the bassist for Weather Report; he has
played with the Zawinul Syndicate, Sonny Rollins, Miriam Makeba,
Lenny White, Hamiet Bluiet, Kenny Kirkland, Mike Stern, Kevin
Eubanks, and more. Drummer Lenny White is best known
for his role with Miles Davis on Bitches Brew and for his
tenure with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever Band of the 70s. White
played with such jazz greats as Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Woody
Shaw, Gato Barbieri, Gil Evans, Stanley Clarke and Stan Getz, and is
regarded as one of the greatest fusion drummers.
Catch the Larry Coryell Trio at the Jazz Showcase, December 19-24.
www.jazzshowcase.com/ |
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Tuesday, 02 December 2008
