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Larry Carlton: Plays The Sound of Philadelphia
by John Kelman
Regardless of context, guitarist Larry Carlton has built a reputation as one of the tastiest guitarists around, whether he's supporting singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, jazz/pop hybrid Steely Dan or soulful jazz/funksters The Crusaders. His own records, while always accessible--at times, crossing the line into smooth jazz territory--demonstrate a distinctive blend of sweet and gritty tone, bluesy soulfulness, and plenty of jazz chops, often surfacing in the most unexpected places. Live in Tokyo With Special Guest Robben Ford (335 Records, 2009), was ...
read moreLarry Carlton / Tak Matsumoto: Take Your Pick
by John Kelman
It's a shame that artists' careers are reduced to oversimplifications of who they are and what they're capable of. Guitarist Larry Carlton, for example--despite releasing kick-ass blues-centric records like Sapphire Blue (Bluebird, 2004) and, more recently, the exciting yet unfailingly tasty Live in Tokyo (335 Records, 2007), not to mention delivering iconic solos on Steely Dan albums like The Royal Scam (MCA, 1976) and Gaucho (MCA, 1980)--is, more often than not, associated with the smooth jazz of albums like Alone/But ...
read moreLarry Carlton: Greatest Hits Recorded Volume One
by John Kelman
Since emerging as a ubiquitous session ace--his sweet tone and lyrical bent creating some of the 1970s' most definitive guitar solos for artists including The Crusaders, Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell--Larry Carlton has combined unerring melodic instincts and stunning harmonic knowledge into a discography as accessible as it is deep. For some, he's veered too close to the border of smooth jazz--crossing over, even--but get past the easygoing rhythms and changes, and there's far more than meets the eye. Not ...
read moreLarry Carlton With Special Guest Robben Ford: Live in Tokyo
by John Kelman
With blues/jazz guitarist Robben Ford's Soul on Ten (Concord, 2009) receiving widespread attention, it's a good time to look at Live in Tokyo, a somewhat overlooked but unmistakably smokin' 2007 release from another West Coast guitar god, Larry Carlton. Carlton invited Ford to join his band for some dates in Tokyo in the fall of 2006, and it would be hard to find two more compatible yet distinctive guitarists for a set that ranges from down-and-dirty blues to burning samba ...
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