Larry Coryell

Larry Coryell
Coryell in 1979
Background information
Birth name	Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III
Born	(1943-04-02)April 2, 1943 Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Died	February 19, 2017(2017-02-19) (aged 73) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion, free jazz, pop, rock, classical
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1965–2017
Labels	Vanguard, Arista, Novus, Muse, Shanachie, Chesky, Wide Hive, Patuxent

Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943^[1] – February 19, 2017)^[2] was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock music. Coryell was also a music teacher and a writer, penning a monthly column for Guitar Player magazine from 1977 to 1989. He made a number of collaborations with other high-profile musicians, including John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitouš, Billy Cobham, Lenny White, Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucía, Steve Morse and others.

Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States.^[1] He never knew his biological father, a musician. He was raised by his stepfather Gene, a chemical engineer, and his mother Cora, who encouraged him to learn piano when he was four years old.^[3]

In his teens, he switched to guitar. After his family moved to Richland, Washington, he took lessons from a teacher who lent him albums by Les Paul, Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel, and Tal Farlow. When asked what jazz guitar albums influenced him, Coryell cited On View at the Five Spot Cafe by Kenny Burrell, Red Norvo with Strings, and The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. He liked blues and pop music and tried to play jazz when he was eighteen. He said that hearing Wes Montgomery changed his life.^[4]

Coryell graduated from Richland High School, where he played in local bands the Jailers, the Rumblers, the Royals, and the Flames. He also played with the Checkers from Yakima. He then moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.^[2]

In September 1965, Coryell moved to New York City, where he attended Mannes School of Music.^[5] After moving to New York, he listened to classical composers such as Bartók, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich.^[4]

He replaced guitarist Gábor Szabó in Chico Hamilton's quintet.^[1] His challenge, at the time, was to combine the bluesy, psychedelic rock 'n' roll of Cream (especially Eric Clapton's guitar style) and The Jimi Hendrix Experience with his jazz training.^[6] Of the latter, he first saw them live in 1967 at the Manhattan nightclub The Scene and was "very impressed" by them.^[7] Coryell's continued attendance to The Scene exposed him to further music of a similar ilk, catching the performances of Frank Zappa, Buddy Guy, The Velvet Underground, Stevie Winwood, The Doors and others.^[8]

In 1969, former Miles Davis Quintet drummer Tony Williams invited Coryell to join his new band, The Tony Williams Lifetime. While flattered by the invitation, he politely declined and suggested, in his place, his British friend and NY newcomer John McLaughlin, then known as "Johnny Mac." It was career-making move for McLaughlin. Because of his tenure with the Lifetime he got the invite to join Davis's electric band, recording In a Silent Way (1969), the Bitches Brew (1970) double-album and Jack Johnson (1971).^[9]

In the 1970s, he led the group Foreplay with Mike Mandel, a friend since childhood,^[10] although the albums of this period, Barefoot Boy, Offering, and The Real Great Escape, were credited only to Larry Coryell.^[1] In wake of the success of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra he formed The Eleventh House in 1973, with drummer Alphonse Mouzon.^[11]

Their debut album, Introducing Eleventh House with Larry Coryell (1974), peaked at #163 in Billboard 200 and stayed 11 weeks in the charts.^[12]

Larry Coryell recorded with Al Di Meola on Return to Forever drummer Lenny White's solo debut, Venusian Summer (1975). Coryell and Di Meola traded solos on "Prince of the Sea", the album's last track. The pairing caused a stir on the fusion community, with fans wondering who played what solo. Coryell reveals this was the only time he and Di Meola played together with electric guitars.^[13]

By then, Coryell had adopted a speed-oriented style of soloing,^[11] similar to other jazz-rock luminaries, namely McLaughlin, Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth, Jan Akkerman and John Etheridge.^{[14][15][16][17][18]} In retrospect, he offered the following of mid-1970s fusion:

What happened, in my opinion, was that guitar playing just got too fast, [...] and it also got highly competitive. For years I thought, "All I want to do is become the number one-rated guitarist in DownBeat by the time I'm 30." It was that whole adolescent attitude, placing more importance on the arriving than on the striving. Everything just got so intense.^[11]

By the end of their brief, 4-year existence The Eleventh House had played with some of the leading artists of the period, including fellow Americans Kiss, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and British prog rockers Renaissance, Gentle Giant and Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman.^[19]

When fusion started losing steam he turned to the acoustic guitar, recording duet albums with Steve Khan and Philip Catherine. The latter was responsible for Coryell's career turn, showing him in 1976 the Django Reinhardt song "Nuages".^[11] He also strengthened, in parallel, his role as a music educator. He gave private lessons and started writing a monthly column for Guitar Player magazine.^[20]

In 1979, he formed The Guitar Trio with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia.^[1] The group toured Europe briefly, releasing a video recorded at Royal Albert Hall in London entitled Meeting of the Spirits.^[21]

In the early 1980, Coryell's alcoholism and drug abuse cost him his spot on The Guitar Trio.^[21] Of his struggles in that period, he said:

By the late 70s. I had gotten successful; [...]. I did some big tours, did some television... People magazine stories, and all that horseshit. I got arrogant. The grandiosity set in. I forgot how I had gotten there. I had forgottem about the hard work, that struggle. I got lazy. But I would later come to realize that what I had to do was go back and do all that work again - practice constantly, listen to other people's music, study other people's phrasing, work on learning new tunes and old standards, work on horn lines and piano lines, pratice scales. My slogan became G.O.Y.A. (Get Off Your Ass). I had to work like a madman, especially when I didn't want to work. And it took a lot of humility. It was the beggining of the end of arrogance.^[11]

When he overcame his self-exile and his bout with alcoholism, he took on his most challenging project yet: solo versions of three Igor Stravinksy ballets, namely Scheherazade (1982), L'Oiseau de Feu, Petrouchka (1983) and Le Sacre Du Printemps (1983).^[11]

Coryell prepared for three months for recording Le Sacre Du Printemps. He got so "obsessed" by it that he got hand sores and blisters hands from over-rehearsing his parts. Three weeks before the recording sessions Coryell got cold feet, calling producer Teo Macero to say he was quitting the project. Macero convinced him otherwise, and he finally recorded the whole piece on March 21th, 1983, on the vernal equinox. In the end he was proud of it, a "milestone" in his life. "It's like, if you can tackle Stravinsky, you can tackle anything," he said on an interview to DownBeat.^[22]

In 1985, he recorded Together with fellow guitarist Emily Remler, who died in 1990. Starting in 2010, Coryell toured with a trio that included pianist John Colianni. Since 2008, Coryell toured in a duo with fusion guitarist Roman Miroshnichenko.^[23]

Coryell was first married to writer-actress Julie Nathanson (1947–2009), daughter of actress Carol Bruce.^[24] She appeared on the covers of several of his albums (including Lady Coryell, Larry Coryell at the Village Gate and The Lion and the Ram) and later wrote the book Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was based on interviews with many of Coryell's peers, including Chick Corea and John McLaughlin.^[25] She also sang intermittently with Coryell, including one track on the 1984 album Comin' Home. The couple had two sons (Murali Coryell (b. 1969) and Julian Coryell (b. 1973), both professional guitarists, before divorcing in 1985.^[26] Thereafter, he had a brief romance with fellow jazz guitarist and artistic collaborator Emily Remler.^[27]

In 1988, he remarried to Connecticut native Mary Schuler; they divorced in 2005. Two years later, he married his last wife, Tracey Lynn Piergross, in Orlando, Florida, where he resided until his death in 2017.

After overcoming his alcohol and heroin addictions in 1981, Coryell began practicing Nichiren Buddhism.^[28]

In November 2016, Coryell condemned Donald Trump following his election to the presidency of the United States. "This is an unacceptable situation", he said to Bill Milkowski of DownBeat.^[29]

We cannot let all the work we've done as jazz musicians to help relationships between people … we can't let all that go to hell. And that's what this election is going to do. It'll take us back to the Dark Ages and people will think that it’s OK to be prejudiced again. Well, I don't accept it. We have to stand up. … [Trump is] an impostor, a huckster, and he's got to go. And because I'm a Buddhist I'm going to chant about it and try to turn poison into medicine, and just get deeper and deeper into my music.^[29]

Shortly after these comments were published, Coryell wrote to Downbeat to apologize and retract:

I am no longer angry about the election; I accept it. I have musician friends who did not vote my way. I have no place implying, as I did in the article, that their votes were insincere or illegitimate... Also—and this is very important—I believe that I have a responsibility to transcend politics, focusing instead on finding ways to touch people’s hearts through music. I never want to forget all the great players who mentored me in the art of demonstrating restraint regarding hot-button issues; these men and women advised me to exercise discretion, and to behave with exemplary humanity. ...My comments did nothing to further the cause of our music. I apologize.^[30]

Coryell died of heart failure on Sunday, February 19, 2017, in a New York City hotel room at the age of 73. He had performed at the Iridium Jazz Club in Manhattan on the preceding two days.^[2][31]

Coryell's last opera, based on Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina, was presented at the 2017 World of Guitar opening, featuring the Moscow Symphony along with Roman Miroshnichenko, Serbian classical guitarist Nenad Stephanovich, and Slovenian opera soloists. The world premiere was dedicated to Coryell, the "godfather of fusion," who died in New York in February of that year. The opera was completed by Miroshnichenko and Stephanovich after the death of Coryell.^[32]

• Lady Coryell (Vanguard Apostolic, 1969)
• Coryell (Vanguard Apostolic, 1969)
• Spaces (Vanguard Apostolic, 1970)
• Barefoot Boy (Flying Dutchman, 1971)
• Fairyland (Mega, 1971)
• Larry Coryell at the Village Gate (Vanguard, 1971)
• Offering (Vanguard, 1972)
• The Real Great Escape (Vanguard, 1973)
• Introducing Eleventh House with Larry Coryell (Vanguard, 1974)
• Planet End (Vanguard, 1975)
• Level One (Arista, 1975)
• The Restful Mind (Vanguard, 1975)
• The Lion and the Ram (Arista, 1976)
• Basics (Vanguard, 1976)
• Aspects (Arista, 1976)
• Back Together Again with Alphonse Mouzon (Atlantic, 1977)
• Two for the Road with Steve Khan (Arista, 1977)
• Twin House with Philip Catherine (Elektra, 1977)
• At Montreux with Eleventh House (Vanguard, 1978)
• European Impressions (Arista Novus 1978)
• Better Than Live with the Brubeck Brothers (Direct-Disk Labs, 1978)
• Standing Ovation: Solo (Mood, 1978)
• Difference (Egg, 1978)
• Splendid with Philip Catherine (Elektra, 1978)
• Return (Vanguard, 1979)
• Tributaries with John Scofield, Joe Beck (Arista Novus, 1979)
• Live! with Philip Catherine, Joachim Kühn, (Elektra, 1980)
• Boléro (String, 1981)
• The Larry Coryell/Michael Urbaniak Duo (Keytone, 1982)
• Scheherazade (Philips, 1982)
• L'Oiseau de Feu, Petrouchka (Philips, 1983)
• Le Sacre Du Printemps (Philips, 1983)
• Facts of Life with Michał Urbaniak (SWS, 1983)
• Just Like Being Born with Brian Keane (Flying Fish, 1984)
• A Quiet Day in Spring with Michał Urbaniak (Steeplechase, 1984)
• Comin' Home (Muse, 1984)
• Together with Emily Remler (Concord Jazz, 1985)
• Equipoise (Muse, 1986)
• Dedicated to Bill Evans and Scott La Faro with Miroslav Vitous (Jazzpoint, 1987)
• Toku Do (Muse, 1988)
• Air Dancing (Jazzpoint, 1988)
• Dragon Gate (Shanachie, 1989)
• Visions in Blue: Coryell Plays Ravel & Gershwin (Little Major, 1989)
• Shining Hour (Muse, 1989)
• American Odyssey (DRG, 1990)
• Don Lanphere/Larry Coryell (Hep, 1990)
• Twelve Frets to One Octave (Shanachie, 1991)
• Live from Bahia (CTI, 1992)
• Fallen Angel (CTI, 1993)
• I'll Be Over You (CTI, 1995)
• Sketches of Coryell (Shanachie, 1996)
• Spaces Revisited (Shanachie, 1997)
• Private Concert (Acoutic Music Records, 1998)
• Cause and Effect with Steve Smith, Tom Coster, (Tone Center, 1998)
• Monk, Trane, Miles & Me (HighNote, 1999)
• From the Ashes with L. Subramaniam (Water Lily Acoustics, 1999)
• New High (HighNote, 2000)
• The Coryells (Chesky, 2000)
• The Power Trio Live in Chicago (Highnote, 2001)
• Moonlight Whispers (Pastels, 2001)
• Count's Jam Band Reunion with Steve Marcus, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt (Tone Center, 2001)
• Inner Urge (HighNote, 2001)
• Cedars of Avalon (HighNote, 2002)
• Three Guitars with Badi Assad, John Abercrombie (Chesky, 2003)
• Tricycles (In+Out, 2003)
• Electric with Victor Bailey, Lenny White (Chesky, 2005)
• Traffic with Victor Bailey, Lenny White (Chesky, 2006)
• Laid Back & Blues (Rhombus, 2006)
• Impressions: The New York Sessions (Chesky, 2008)
• Earthquake at the Avalon (In-Akustik, 2009)
• Larry Coryell with the Wide Hive Players (Wide Hive, 2011)
• Montgomery (Patuxent Music, 2011)
• Duality with Kenny Drew Jr. (Random Act, 2011)
• The Lift (Wide Hive, 2013)
• Heavy Feel (Wide Hive, 2015)
• Barefoot Man: Sanpaku (Purple Pyramid, 2016)
• Seven Secrets with Eleventh House (Savoy, 2016)
• Last Swing with Ireland (Angel Air, 2021)
• Live at the Sugar Club (Angel Air, 2022)

The Free Spirits

• Out of Sight and Sound (ABC, 1967)
• Live at the Scene (Sunbeam, 2011)

Fuse One

• Fuse One (CTI, 1980)
• Ice (Electric Bird, 1984)

• L. Subramaniam Violin From the Heart (1999) – directed by Jean Henri Meunier (includes a scene of Coryell performing with L. Subramaniam)
• Meeting of the Spirits /1979 (2003) – live performance in London featuring Coryell, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia
• Super Guitar Trio and Friends in Concert /1990 (2005) – live performance featuring Coryell, Al Di Meola, and Biréli Lagrène
• Super Guitar Trio: Live in Montreux /1989 (2007) – live performance featuring Coryell, Al Di Meola, and Biréli Lagrène
• Three Guitars: Paris Concert /2004 (2012) – live performance featuring Coryell, Badi Assad, and John Abercrombie

• Coryell, Larry (2007). Improvising: My Life in Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0879308261.

• Larry Coryell Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2008)
• Larry Coryell: Blues and Beyond
• Larry Coryell discography at Discogs
• Larry Coryell at IMDb