The Best of Larry Carlton At Middle C Jazz

Larry Carlton
Middle C Jazz
The Best of Larry Carlton
Charlotte, NC
August 15, 2024

Legendary session guitarist Larry Carlton has a deep catalog of memorable tracks that featured his playing. He announced that he was going to follow Frank Sinatra's dictum to always start a show with two songs the audience knows, then launched into "Minute By Minute," the The Doobie Brothers tune that he covered on his album Discovery (MCA Records, 1987). A sly introduction began the Steely Dan track "Black Friday" from Katy Lied (ABC Records, 1975). The vocal line was played by the tenor saxophonist until Carlton took it over on guitar: it was easy to hear the song, even without the vocals. Carlton jokingly announced that "tonight's all about me." The next piece would be one he wrote in 1986 (and still on the radio): "Smiles and Smiles to Go" from his album Alone / But Never Alone (MCA Records, 1986). A friend had told him that he wrote it to have a playground to run wild in, and he seemed to really enjoy going there again.

Carlton made his first recording with The Crusaders at age 23, after playing a session with keyboardist Joe Sample (who was one of Carlton's heroes), and went on to appear on a total of 13 albums. "Put It Where You Want It" from Crusaders I (Blue Thumb Records, 1972) was their first hit. It still packs a potent groove, inspiring especially hot tenor saxophone and electric piano solos. He introduced the band: trombonist Barry Green, tenor saxophonist Paulie Cerra , bassist Travis Carlton, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota and drummer Joel Taylor.

Next up was a beautiful ballad, a guitar feature without horns. Carlton said that saxophonist Paulie Cerra was a sub—but he is also a gifted blues vocalist—so a blues vocal feature was a special treat. Cerra sang "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," a Piedmont blues that has been covered by many people, including The Allman Brothers Band and (probably most famously) Ray Charles. Cerra followed his vocal with a powerful saxophone solo, and then the leader contributed an excellent, restrained guitar solo. His blues playing was just as musical as everything he does: technically gifted but with no extraneous flash. Before starting the next tune, he bet the audience that they could guess it from two notes. Sure enough, it was easy to hear Steely Dan's "Black Cow" from Aja (ABC Records, 1977) by just hearing the guitar introduction.

About now Carlton asked for a show of hands by any audience members below the age of 40. There were about ten, making this a comparatively young show! The early set only had four. Carlton asked the audience if we had ever had a good day at work where everything went right. He had such a day recording with Steely Dan—the Note Fairy was especially generous. When he was recently asked to join a tour, he accepted, then realized it had been 35 years since he played that music. So he had to re-learn his iconic "Kid Charlemagne" solo from The Royal Scam (ABC Records, 1976). He played it perfectly everywhere but Los Angeles, where he was singled out in a newspaper review of the concert. So he told all of the guitarists in the audience who had it memorized that if he played anything different, he meant to do that. No need: he nailed it. The guitarist was a member of the group Fourplay (with keyboardist Bob James) for 12 years, so he closed the show with one of their most famous tunes. A good time was had by all.

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