The restful mind (Larry Coryell) (LP 3099)

Larry Coryell  The Restful Mind (Vinyl, Vanguard Records, 1975) ***** 

Oregon  Out Of The Woods (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1978) ***** 

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: Little Red Bookshop (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Julie La Belle (The Restless Mind)

Gear costume: Yellow Bell (Out Of The Woods)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Larry (on acoustic and electric guitars) is joined by three members of Oregon for this more meditative set. 

It's still intense in parts but compared to Larry's visceral approach elsewhere (type in his name in my search bar to read my previous posts) this is like a deep breath out. It's as far away from The Eleventh House as he can get.

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz called The Restful Mind "a very special record that manages to avoid all the pitfalls usually associated with crossover projects that aim to marry jazz and classical music. This is Coryell at his thoughtful best'.

Oregon are that rare thing in jazz - a band that sticks together enough to forge a career for themselves. They were formed in 1970 by Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott.

Towner, Moore and Walcott appear on The Restful Mind and all four are on Out Of The Woods. They play acoustically and interchange instruments a lot. You can be individually talented and not gel as a team (plenty of football teams discover that), Oregon seem to be telepathically aligned and that makes for music to warm your soul.

Where do they all belong? A great pair for the jazz fusion section.

Foreplay (Larry Coryell) (LP 857)

Larry Coryell  Offering (Vinyl, Vanguard Records, 1972) ***** 

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Foreplay

Gear costume: Ruminations (sax and guitar duels are super cool!)

Active compensatory factors: The 'must play loud' tag doesn't always apply but in this case you need the volume to pick out the genius interplay between bass, guitar, drums, electric piano and soprano sax.

Try Foreplay and you'll see what I mean - each member appears to be playing a different tune at times but when it's all fused together and played loud it makes total sense.

That song takes on different shapes from melodic to seemingly free form intensity. The bass and drum combo is tight and the sax floats the melody in and away throughout its 8 minutes.

And that's just the opening song! The band are off and running and Larry just has to be Larry.

The intensity builds from the first two tracks with side one closing with the brainstorming Scotland 1. Side two continues the instrumental storming of the gates!

Where do they all belong? Two in a row for the jazz fusion section as I forgot that I hadn't yet posted on this one before doing the Jan Hammer albums. This album comes before the Eleventh House albums that I've posted already.

Yin-yang (John Lee) (LP 528 - 530)

The Eleventh House featuring Larry Coryell Level One (Vinyl, Arista Records, 1975) *****

The Eleventh House featuring Larry Coryell Aspects (Vinyl, Arista Records, 1976) ***

Coryell/Mouzon Back Together Again (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1977) ****

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Rock and Roll Lovers (Back Together Again)

Gear costume: Nyctaphobia (Level One)

Active compensatory factors: I like my jazz fusion with a beat that is inventive but also one that I can understand and Alphonse Mouzon fits the bill. He is an amazing drummer. 

Larry Coryell is like John McLaughlin - a whirlwind on guitar.

What I like about these albums is the way all the musicians blend and give room to each other. The Other Side (on Level One) is a great example.

If you want to pick one of these to launch into, I'd recommend Level One. It feels like five albums' highlights compressed into one, with brilliant and inspired playing throughout.

Where do they all belong? Next up in the vinyl fusion department is Deodato.

Call to the higher consciousness (Larry Coryell) (LP 344)

Larry Coryell Barefoot Boy (Vinyl, Flying Dutchmen, 1971) ****

Genre:  Jazz Fusion 

Places I remember: Viking's Haul (Woodville)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/Gear costume: Gypsy Queen


   
Active compensatory factors:  Virtuoso fusion guitar playing doesn't get much better than Larry Coryell. As one critic summed up, Larry's style of fusion was: complex and virtuosic yet easily accessible, at times intense, at others fun-filled, and always with the feeling of the unknown that comes with truly spontaneous and inspired improvisation.

This album has some sublime moments. 

Side one has two tracks (Gypsy Queen is familiar thanks to Santana's version) and then the side long Call To The Higher Consciousness is stunning (even though the drum solo middle section doesn't do much for me). 

Apparently a jam session, but it sounds thought out and complete to me - starting with a whirlwind of sound before getting into a looping stride with soprano sax, piano and guitar interactions which explore the time and space created between the bass and drums in a vivid lyrical conversation.


Where do they all belong? Larry was always searching, moving forward, to the next thing - in the mid seventies this was The Eleventh House band.

Right on y'all ( Alphonse Mouzon) (LP 239)

The Eleventh House Introducing The Eleventh House With Larry Coryell (vinyl - Vanguard, 1974) ****

Genre: Jazz Fusion  

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Yin




Gear costume:  The Funky Waltz

Active compensatory factors: Jazz Fusion is a rich place to live. All sorts of great bands and musicians reside there.

But, it's not for the faint of heart! Try Yin which kicks off side two frinstance (as featured above). Driving intensity from bass, drums, with solo synth, trumpet (Randy Becker wailing man), and main man Larry Coryell's guitar.

It's a fusion version of Chasin' The Trane from the previous post. Glorious!!

It's not all as intense as Yin - there is light and shade along the way. And FUNK - check out Mouzon's Funky Waltz!

The lack of vocals gives this more gravitas too. Just sayin'.

Where do they all belong? More vinyl Eleventh House to come.