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Thread: FEATURED CD: Larry Coryell - Barefoot Boy

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD: Larry Coryell - Barefoot Boy




    Review from ProgArchives (Sean Trane):
    Probably Larry Coryell's most important album outside the Eleventh House efforts, Barefoot Boy is the first truly jazz-rock album of his. Although LC took the Village Gate line-up of Bronson and Wilkinson, he future regular collabs Steve Markus (sax) and his old school friend Mike Mandel (KB) to make a sensational line-up that will make the next few albums' basis. With one of the poorer artwork of his early discography, BB is just three tracks but do they ever smoke, breathing in some cool rapid conga-fuelled rock and swallowing a wild sax and spewing out a torrid incandescent lava flow that will set fire to your speakers if listened to loud, let alone your brain cells.

    Indeed the 12-mins Gypsy Queen is a long steady rapid-fire rock beat, but it serves as a base for Markus' absolutely wild sax solo, while Coryell either supports Markus or outdoes him in astounding Hendrix-like solos. The following 8-mins+ Great Escape is a much funkier (but in a very rock way) driven on Bronson's bass, where again LC is pouring his heart into his solo. Somehow the second Traffic line-up (Kwaaku Reebop) is not far away. The flipside is a sidelong extrapolation of The Higher Consciousness, where Markus and Coryell directly take the track into pure Nucleus-like fusion with Mandel pulling the track later in a Coltrane mode, although he won't match Tyner's brilliance, but still manage a good rendition. Too bad the track is plagued with an almost 4 minutes drum solo (Haynes is no Elvin Jones), but once the track resumes, complete madness has taken over the musos

    Although LC had made some terrific albums up to this one, they were, shall we say a bit in the Hendrix mode, something that dramatically changes with BB. Well LC had found a stable group and it would be the same line-up to appear on next year's just as superb Offering and the much poorer Real Great Escape, before LC will take Mandel to found The Eleventh House. Possibly LC's crowning achievement, this album is an easy five star.







    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    Nice to see this one back in print! I've always enjoyed Steve Marcus's playing with Coryell. Larry doesn't sing on this album, which is a big plus!

  3. #3
    Member rapidfirerob's Avatar
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    It's an album I want badly. Steve "The Count" Marcus is sorely missed.

  4. #4
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Definitely one f my fave Coryell album along with Village Gate...
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  5. #5
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    I used to have this back in the days when I had a vinyl collection... and when I thought Larry Coryell was good.
    Quote Originally Posted by Reid View Post
    I've always enjoyed Steve Marcus's playing with Coryell.
    Definitely my favorite thing about the album! But even back then, I think I liked Coryell's previous albums better. The "tunes" on this one are just feeble excuses to jam. And at this point in time, I've grown tired of modal one-chord jams. I can still listen to Coltrane do it, but not too many others. Not unless it goes somewhere and this stuff doesn't imo.

    Sorry to be so negative! Coryell is one of those artists that I dug when I was in my teens, but after I developed as a musician (and consequentially, as a muso snob), I found his playing too flawed to be able to appreciate it anymore. I acknowledge the fact that he is perhaps THE founding father of fusion guitar and as such, was a true innovator. And I think he sounds a whole lot better these days. I wore the grooves off of his "Spaces" album back in the day, but then again, it had tunes, a fantastic band and the stuff went somewhere.

    I'll stop now before I get tarred and feathered...

  6. #6
    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by No Pride View Post
    I liked Coryell's previous albums better. I wore the grooves off of his "Spaces" album back in the day
    +1 on both counts.
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

  7. #7
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    This album Rocks like a mofo... love it! Though I wish there was more composition (like on the 11th House albums) on it
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    He has a very sloppy guitar style but it works !
    He is not Hendrix or McLaughlin, but his messy style is quite inspiring at times.
    These 3 are my favorites as a leader
    Fairyland (1971)
    Larry Coryell at the Village Gate (1971)
    Offering (1972)

    But on Michael Mantler: Movies, he has some really magic strokes!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by No Pride View Post
    I used to have this back in the days when I had a vinyl collection... and when I thought Larry Coryell was good.
    Definitely my favorite thing about the album! But even back then, I think I liked Coryell's previous albums better. The "tunes" on this one are just feeble excuses to jam. And at this point in time, I've grown tired of modal one-chord jams. I can still listen to Coltrane do it, but not too many others. Not unless it goes somewhere and this stuff doesn't imo.

    Sorry to be so negative! Coryell is one of those artists that I dug when I was in my teens, but after I developed as a musician (and consequentially, as a muso snob), I found his playing too flawed to be able to appreciate it anymore. I acknowledge the fact that he is perhaps THE founding father of fusion guitar and as such, was a true innovator. And I think he sounds a whole lot better these days. I wore the grooves off of his "Spaces" album back in the day, but then again, it had tunes, a fantastic band and the stuff went somewhere.

    I'll stop now before I get tarred and feathered...
    No Pride, I agree with you 100% especially the comment about wearing the grooves right off the "Spaces" album !!!

    LC is a very accomplished PLAYER, but a terrible COMPOSER.

  10. #10
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reid View Post
    Larry doesn't sing on this album, which is a big plus!
    Quote Originally Posted by Supersonic Scientist View Post
    terrible COMPOSER.
    That reminds me; anybody remember this (unintentionally funny) track from his second album, "Coryell?"


  11. #11
    Coryell was an odd combo of theoretical knowledge and slop, but his playing from that era actually holds up better than McLaughlin's of the same period for me nowadays.More varied in his phrasing and ideas where McLaughlin often seemed more interested in playing as fast as he could with little musicality.I can do without Johnny mac until the second mahavishnu lineup\shakti days.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Watanabe View Post
    McLaughlin often seemed more interested in playing as fast as he could with little musicality.
    I beg to differ! From "My Goal's Beyond" (1970):




  13. #13
    That album is my favourite of his.

    I should probably have clarified it was his electric guitar improvising from that era i was meaning i can do without nowadays....not so much the acoustic stuff.

  14. #14
    i actually got to see Larry a few weeks ago on his Eleventh House reunion tour, here in Seattle at Jazz Alley. It was a birthday gift from my lovely spousal unit. Randy Brecker, Alphonse Mouzon and the rest - they killed it. although there was a bit of the one-chord modal jamming Ernie alludes to (which i also can take or leave unless the solos are truly insane), mostly in the older tunes they did, it was not primarily that. And even in those, the solos were great.

    i'd say Larry has grown considerably as a writer since the early days. i was never a big fan, personally, although i liked some of what i heard of his work. composition was never his strong suit, imo. however, he played several originals which floored me with their beauty. a couple of solo guitar things and one seriously smokin' fusion tune. all in all, the show was wonderful and he was a real nice guy. we chatted quite a bit after the show.

    the one thing i like about his style of soloing these days is how elliptical it is. in constrast to the sort of post-bop thing Randy was doing (and he was brilliant that night as usual), Larry had a laid back sort of cryptic melodicism going on which i really enjoyed when he was "blowing over changes" as it were.

    thanks for sharing those Johnny Mac tracks, too - i always loved that album

    Kim
    And the code is a play, a play is a song, a song is a film, a film is a dance...

  15. #15
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    Larry is hit or miss for me....I haven't heard this album, but I like the overall vibe of the 11th House recordings and Offering. Substance abuse was an issue, and I think it showed at times, later on.....but his Live In Bahia album, with a bunch of Brasilian cats, is pretty great stuff. I saw him a couple years back and enjoyed his set....with Victor Bailey, etc.

    Still, I think his stuff with Gary Burton in the 60's was pretty daring. Of course, when Mahavishnu Orchestra happened, well....the sheer magnitude of that beast crushed everything before it.

  16. #16
    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    Haven't heard this one, but I'll get around to it.

    His albums are hit or miss, and that heavy handed picking can get annoying, but he did write some cool stuff...,like, the Twin house album,

    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

  17. #17
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    Larry Coryell is another musician who just fell through the cracks for me over the years. I saw him with Eleventh House at Town Hall sometime in the early 80's, but i'll be damned if I recall much about the show or even if I dug it.The only cd I own by him is a comp of his Vanguard years which I bought two years ago ,thanks to this thread i'll dig it out and give it a spin.

    I have a couple of Gary Burton releases with Coryell as sideman, and I dig those, but that's it for Larry Coryell and me.I have read high praise for Spaces in various media over the years,perhaps I should check that one out.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  18. #18
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    I dig his 'going for it' approach. He's definitely not the technician of a Malmsteen or Petrucci but then those guys tend to wear on me.
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  19. #19
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Watanabe View Post
    Coryell was an odd combo of theoretical knowledge and slop, but his playing from that era actually holds up better than McLaughlin's of the same period for me nowadays.More varied in his phrasing and ideas where McLaughlin often seemed more interested in playing as fast as he could with little musicality.I can do without Johnny mac until the second mahavishnu lineup\shakti days.

    Kind of disagree with this.... True enough, McL was the speed of light of guitar playing
    But in the acoustic trios,, I thought the guy out to play as quick as he could was ADM

    I much p)refer the trio when Coryell was in, instead of ADM.... It was much more melodious with him in it, precisely because instead of having three guys trying to outdo each other, Coryell played for the trio, not trying to hog the spotlight to himself like ADM was...
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  20. #20
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Watanabe View Post
    That album is my favourite of his.

    I should probably have clarified it was his electric guitar improvising from that era i was meaning i can do without nowadays....not so much the acoustic stuff.
    The first album I ever heard McLaughlin on was Tony Williams Lifetime's "Emergency," and that was in '69. It's still some of my favorite playing he's ever done! I dug "Extrapolation" and "Devotion" too. I'm not as fond of his playing on the first two Mahavishnu Orchestra albums, though I loved it back in the day... and I still love most of those tunes.

    Quote Originally Posted by nosebone View Post
    that heavy handed picking can get annoying
    That's the thing that bugged me most about Coryell; he picked so hard that it just killed the tone. Other than that, it was just sort of erratic; he'd play something beautiful and then follow it up with something corny or just tasteless. But like I said, he's a much better player nowadays.

  21. #21
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    On this album he plays with Wolfgang Dauner and Jon Hiseman. The first tune is horrible (Coryell to blame), the rest I have enjoyed a lot.



    First time I heard McLaughlin was on Carla Bleys Escalator over the hill, amazing solo he does on Rawalpindi Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HzT1tf5Q8.

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