Larry Coryell

Biography

Larry Coryell, born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III on April 2, 1943, in Galveston, Texas, began his musical journey playing piano as a child before switching to guitar in his teens after his family moved to the Seattle area. He studied journalism at the University of Washington while taking private guitar lessons and drawing inspiration from jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery, whose music profoundly changed his life, as well as Les Paul, Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel, and Tal Farlow. In 1965, he relocated to New York City, attending the Mannes School of Music, and quickly entered the jazz scene by replacing Gábor Szabó in Chico Hamilton's quintet and co-founding the early jazz-rock band Free Spirits[2][3][6].

Coryell's career exploded in the late 1960s and 1970s as a pioneer of jazz fusion, often called the 'godfather of fusion' for blending jazz with rock, blues, and psychedelia, influenced by artists like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. He recorded with Gary Burton, Herbie Mann, and Jack Bruce, released his debut solo album Lady Coryell in 1968, and led influential groups like Foreplay and The Eleventh House with Alphonse Mouzon. Throughout the decades, he explored acoustic duos with Steve Khan and Philip Catherine, collaborated across genres including classical interpretations with Kazuhito Yamashita, and maintained a prolific output of over 60 albums as a leader while educating through books, DVDs, and Guitar Player columns[1][2][3][4][5].

Coryell remained active until his death on February 19, 2017, from natural causes at age 73, following performances at Iridium in New York. His legacy endures as a versatile innovator who bridged jazz, rock, fusion, classical, and more, influencing generations with his technical prowess and eclectic style[2][4].

Fun Facts

• Coryell declined an invitation from Tony Williams to join Lifetime in 1969 and recommended John McLaughlin instead, propelling McLaughlin's career with Miles Davis[2].
• He collaborated with Al Di Meola only once on electric guitars, on Lenny White's Venusian Summer (1975), sparking fan debates over their solos[2].
• Coryell recorded a Japan-only guitar duo of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with classical guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita in 1979, calling it surprisingly fun[2].
• In 1978, he worked with Miles Davis on pieces during Davis's recovery, including a James Brown-like vamp[2].

Associated Acts

• The Coryells
• Three Guitars - guitar
• The Free Spirits
• Larry Coryell Quartet - eponymous, original
• The Individuals
• Gary Burton Quartet
• The Wide Hive Players

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Wes Montgomery - Primary jazz guitar inspiration whose music changed Coryell's life (The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery) [Teens, pre-1960s]
• Les Paul - Early jazz guitar influence via teacher's loaned albums (Various albums) [Teens, Richland, Washington]
• Tal Farlow - Influential jazz guitarist from teacher's albums (Various albums) [Teens]

Key Collaborators

• Gábor Szabó - Replaced him in Chico Hamilton's quintet (Chico Hamilton recordings) [1965-1966]
• Gary Burton - Band member in Gary Burton Quartet (Duster (1967) and two other seminal albums) [1966-1967]
• Alphonse Mouzon - Drummer in The Eleventh House (Eleventh House albums) [1973]
• John McLaughlin - Guitar trio tour (Meeting of the Spirits video, Royal Albert Hall) [1979-1980]
• Philip Catherine - Acoustic guitar duos; introduced Django Reinhardt influence (Duet albums; 'Nuages') [1976 onwards]

Artists Influenced

• John McLaughlin - Recommended by Coryell to Tony Williams Lifetime, leading to Miles Davis collaborations (In a Silent Way (1969), Bitches Brew (1970), Jack Johnson (1971)) [1969]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #free-jazz, #jazz, #jazz-fusion