Larry Carlton

Larry Carlton - Friends - 1983 - Warner Bros.

By the time Larry Carlton recorded Friends, his status as a guitar legend had already been established. In addition to being admired by musicians, he was also loved by Muzak programmers. His blend of happy pop-jazz was the perfect background music for dentist offices. For those who care to listen closer, there is some excellent guitar work being performed. A good example of this would be his creative improvisation on the introduction to "South Town." His duet with B.B. King on "Blues for TJ" is wonderful. It is refreshing to hear two players who are more interested in sharing ideas than showing off. The scat version of "Tequila," courtesy of Al Jarreau, was also interesting. As with most Carlton recordings, there is something here for just about everyone; there's just not enough of it. © Robert Taylor © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/friends-mw0000652429

Larry's guitar solo on Becker & Fagen's "Kid Charlemagne" from the "Royal Scam" album is a work of genius. It would be great if Larry had thrown a few more solos like that into his later albums. The guy often "underplays" on occasions and it would be great to hear an all blues album from Larry where he would shine. Nevertheless, he is one of the guitar greats and one of the world's most in-demand sessionmen, and "Friends" shows off his guitar skills better than some of his later more pop rock and smooth jazz albums. Listen to Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour's "Larry & Lee" album and Steely Dan's classic "Royal Scam" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 96 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Breaking Ground 4:26
2 South Town 5:25
3 Tequila 4:09
4 Blues For T.J. 5:19
5 Song In The 5th Grade 5:23
6 Cruisin´ 5:19
7 L.A., N.Y. 4:55
8 Friends 5:18

All tracks composed by Larry Carlton except "Tequila" by Chuck Rio, and "Blues For T.J" by Larry Carlton & B.B. King

MUSICIANS

Larry Carlton - Electric Guitar, Electric Bass - (tracks 3, 5), Fender Rhodes Electric Piano - (track 5), Percussion - (tracks 2, 5)
B.B. King - Electric Guitar - (track 4)
Abe Laboriel - Electric Bass
Brian Mann - Synthesizer - (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8), Organ - (tracks 4, 5)
Joe Sample - Fender Rhodes Electric Piano - (tracks 2, 3), Terry Trotter - Fender Rhodes Electric Piano - (tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Don Freeman - Fender Rhodes Electric Piano - (track 3), Acoustic Piano - (track 3), Clavinet - (track 3)
Joe Porcaro - Vibraphone - (track 2), Timpani - (track 1)
Jeff Porcaro - Drums
Alex Acuna - Percussion - (track 6), Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5)
Michael Brecker - Saxophone - (tracks 3, 7, 8)
Don Menza, Gary Herbig, Gordon Berg, James Horn, Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Williams - Woodwind
Bill Reichenbach, Charles Loper, Dick Hyde, Lew McCreary - Trombone
Charles Findley, Gary E. Grant, Jerry Hey, Larry Hall, Pat Lobinger - Trumpet
Jim Horn - Solo Flute - (track 5)
Al Jarreau - Scat Vocals - (track 3)

BIO

Like so many other Los Angeles studio musicians, guitarist and composer Larry Carlton was faced with a choice a number of years back: whether to go solo and develop a name for himself, or to continue the less risky, more lucrative existence of a session guitarist, making good money and recording with prominent musicians. Fortunately for fans of this eclectic guitarist, he chose the former, and has recorded under his own name for Warner Bros., MCA Records, GRP Records, and various other labels since 1978. Carlton's studio credits from the ''0s and early '80s include work with musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and literally dozens of others. Among his more notable projects as a session guitarist were Joni Mitchell's critically acclaimed Court and Spark album and Donald Fagen's Nightfly album. For much of the '70s, Carlton was active as a session guitarist, recording on up to 500 albums a year. Although he recorded a number of LPs under his own name as early as 1968's With a Little Help from My Friends (Uni) and 1973's Playing/Singing (Blue Thumb), he didn't land a major-label contract until 1978, when he signed with Warner Bros. Carlton began taking guitar lessons when he was six. His first professional gig was at a supper club in 1962. After hearing Joe Pass on the radio, he was inspired to play jazz and blues. Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel became important influences soon after he discovered the jazz guitar stylings of Pass. B.B. King and other blues guitarists had an impact on Carlton's style as well. He honed his guitar-playing skills in the clubs and studios of greater Los Angeles while he attended a local junior college and Long Beach State College for a year until the Vietnam War ended. Carlton toured with the Fifth Dimension in 1968 and began doing studio sessions in 1970. His early session work included studio dates with pop musicians like Vikki Carr, Andy Williams, and the Partridge Family. In 1971, he was asked to join the Crusaders shortly after they'd decided to drop the word "Jazz" from their name, and he remained with the group until 1976. In between tours with the Crusaders, he also did studio session work for hundreds of recordings in every genre. But it was while he with the Crusaders that he developed his signature, highly rhythmic, often bluesy style. His credits include performing on more than 100 gold albums. His theme music credits for TV and films include Against All Odds, Who's the Boss, and the theme for Hill Street Blues. The latter won a Grammy award in 1981 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Carlton delivered his self-titled debut for Warner Bros. in 1978, shortly after he was recognized for his groundbreaking guitar playing on Steely Dan's Royal Scam album. (Carlton contributed the memorable guitar solo on "Kid Charlemagne.'') He released four more albums for Warner Bros., Strikes Twice (1980), Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (1982), and the Grammy-nominated Friends (1983), before being dropped from the label. He continued studio session work and toured in between, emerging again in 1986 on MCA Records with an all-acoustic album, Discovery, which contained an instrumental remake of Michael McDonald's hit "Minute by Minute." The single won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987. Carlton's live album Last Nite, released in 1987, got him a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. While working on his next album for MCA, On Solid Ground, Carlton was the victim of random gun violence, and was shot in the throat by gun-wielding juveniles outside Room 335, his private studio near Burbank, California. The bullet shattered his vocal cords and caused significant nerve trauma, but through intensive therapy and a positive frame of mind, Carlton completed work on On Solid Ground in 1989. He formed Helping Innocent People (HIP), a non-profit group to aid victims of random gun violence. Despite the tragedy foisted on him in the late '80s after he was shot, with a long period of hospitalization and rehabilitation, Carlton continued his active recording and performing schedule over the next two decades, beginning with a number of albums during the '90s on the GRP label: 1992's Kid Gloves; 1993's Renegade Gentleman; 1995's Larry & Lee (with Lee Ritenour); and 1996's The Gift. Carlton also released the 1995 holiday collection Christmas at My House on MCA. And in 1997 he replaced Lee Ritenour in the popular, contemporary jazz outfit Fourplay, first appearing on the group's 4 album in 1998. The 2000s found Carlton as active as ever, recording live and in the studio as both leader and collaborator for a variety of labels. Two albums on Warner Bros. began the decade, Fingerprints -- including guest appearances by Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Kirk Whalum, and Vinnie Colaiuta -- in 2000, and Deep into It in 2001. A popular concert draw in Japan, Carlton could be heard as a collaborator on two live recordings from that island country during the decade, Live in Osaka (with Steve Lukather), issued in 2001 on the Favored Nations label, and Live in Tokyo (with Robben Ford) on 335 Records in 2007. Meanwhile, his albums as a leader continued, with Sapphire Blue and Fire Wire released by Bluebird/RCA in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and The Jazz King -- with Carlton leading an all-star band performing music he composed on commission to celebrate the 80th birthday and ascension to the throne of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- issued by Sony BMG in 2008. In 2009 Carlton appeared as guest guitarist on selected dates during Steely Dan's U.S. summer tour. Always happy to meet with the press, Carlton has a sweet, peaceful personality, and listeners continue to hear it in his unique rhythmic and warm guitar chords and ringing guitar tones. Carlton was featured on and produced vocalist Michele Pillar's holiday album, I Hear Angels Calling, in 2011. © Richard Skelly © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/larry-carlton-mn0000102399