Earl Klugh -

Earl Klugh (Sept. 16, 1953) is an American jazz-funk guitarist from Detroit who emerged through work with Yusef Lateef and George Benson. He launched a solo career with Blue Note in 1976 and built an extensive catalog of acoustic-guitar albums, including collaborations with Bob James and the Grammy-winning One on One.

Background

Earl Klugh was born Sept. 16, 1953, in Detroit, Michigan. His mother bought a piano for Klugh and his brother in early childhood. Klugh began piano study as a three-year-old child and took up a nylon-string guitar as a ten-year-old schoolboy. The guitarist redirected his study at thirteen after seeing Chet Atkins perform fingerstyle guitar on The Perry Como Show. Klugh attended Mumford High School in northwest Detroit. The teenager also played guitar in the Electrifying Strings with violinist Jeanette McGruder, keyboardist Cecil “Van” Cephus, and bassist Ralph Armstrong.

Klugh taught beginner guitar by his mid-teens at Al Carter’s music store in Detroit. Saxophonist Yusef Lateef heard him practicing at the store and invited him to sit in at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. Klugh made his first record appearance on “Michelle,” a track from Lateef’s 1970 Atlantic album Suite 16. The guitarist continued to frequent Baker’s, where he met George Benson while still in high school. Benson encouraged Klugh and invited him to play on subsequent Detroit visits.

Klugh joined Benson at Van Gelder Studio in November 1971 for sessions on White Rabbit, where he played acoustic guitar on “El Mar.” He graduated from Mumford High School and enrolled at Michigan State University. Benson recruited Klugh as a touring guitarist, and Klugh left college for the group. Klugh spent more than a year in Benson’s group and returned to Van Gelder Studio in July 1973 for Body Talk.

Chick Corea recruited Klugh in 1974 for a roughly two-month stint in Return to Forever. Klugh credited the engagement with confirming his decision to compose and pursue a solo career. George Benson helped Klugh secure his first record deal in 1975 with Blue Note Records.

Discography: