Larry Coryell -

Larry Coryell (April 2, 1943 — Feb. 19, 2017) was an American guitarist who emerged in the late-1960s jazz-rock-psych combo The Free Spirits. During the mid-1970s, he led the jazz-rock supergroup The Eleventh House, cutting the albums Introducing, Level One, and Aspects. He also partook in Wolfgang Dauner’s Et Cetera with Colosseum drummer Jon Hiseman, playing on the 1972 MPS release Knirsch.

As a solo artist, Coryell issued 10 albums on Vanguard between 1969 and 1976, followed by titles on Arista, Elektra, Philips, and Muse during the subsequent decade.

Early in his career, Coryell backed Chico Hamilton, Gary Burton, Don Sebesky, and Steve Marcus. His collaborative efforts include albums with Steve Khan, Philip Catherine, Arnie Lawrence, L. Subramaniam, Chet Baker, and John Scofield.

Background

Coryell was born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III on April 2, 1943, in Galveston, Texas, where he started playing piano at age four. As a teenager, he took up guitar, inspired by Les Paul, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, and Kenny Burrell. He cited his exposure to Wes Montgomery as transformative and named The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery as one of his primary influences as a jazz guitarist.

Along with his mother and stepfather, Coryell moved to Richland, Washington, where he played in a slew of local bands (The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, The Flames). He first recorded with the Seattle instrumental-rock combo The Dynamics, cutting three co-written singles (1962–64) on local-press Seafair Bolo Records.

In 1964, he notched two additional listed credits: the album The Girl From Ipanema by Chuck Mahaffay & The Individuals (21 Records) and the single “The Old Teenager” (b/w “The Salmon Fisherman”) by Hardwick (Panorama).

In September 1965, Coryell moved to New York City, where he attended Mannes School of Music and studied the works of classical composers, including Bartók, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. Around this time, he replaced Gábor Szabó in drummer Chico Hamilton’s quintet and played on the Impulse! title The Dealer, released in 1966 under the name Chico Hamilton Introducing Larry Coryell.

The Free Spirits

In 1967, Coryell joined The Free Spirits, one of the earliest jazz-pop-psych crossover acts. Their album, Out of Sight and Sound, appeared that year on ABC Records. Immediately afterward, he joined the backing quartet of vibraphonist Gary Burton and played on the 1967/68 RCA releases Duster, Lofty Fake Anagram, A Genuine Tong Funeral, Feelings and Things, and In Concert. Also in 1968, Coryell played on two Verve releases by trombonist Don Sebesky, The Distant Galaxy and Don Sebesky & The Jazz Rock Syndrome.

Along with Free Spirits bandmates Bob Moses and Chris Hills, Coryell played on Tomorrow Never Knows, the debut album by saxophonist Steve Marcus, produced by Herbie Man and released in 1968 on Vortex Records. (That album also features New Zealand-born keyboardist Mike Nock, a member of fellow NY jazz-rock pioneers The Fourth Way.)

In late 1968, Coryell secured a deal with the newly-formed jazz label Vanguard Apostolic and recorded his first solo album at Apostolic Recording Studio.

Lady Coryell

Larry Coryell released his debut solo album, Lady Coryell, in April 1969 on Vanguard.

The album showcases Coryell’s post-Free Spirits transition from psychedelic blues-rock to electric jazz expressionism, setting a precedent for his role in shaping jazz fusion. The material alternates between avant-folk, electric blues, and modal improvisation with layered studio treatments.

Coryell handles electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, and vocals. He receives rhythmic support from drummer Bob Moses, his former bandmate in The Free Spirits, with guest appearances by Elvin Jones on two tracks and Jimmy Garrison on one. Their presence lends the sessions a Coltrane-informed gravitas.

Coryell composed eight of the album’s ten tracks, including the raga-influenced title piece and a stripped-down electric reading of “Stiff Neck.” Bassist Jimmy Garrison contributed “Treats Style.” Coryell also interprets the jazz standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and Junior Walker’s R&B instrumental “Cleo’s Mood.”

“Herman Wright” opens with murky guitar phasing and syncopated vocal phrasing, leading into the wah-pedal strut of “Sunday Telephone.” “Two Minute Classical” builds from clipped figures into choppy arpeggios, while “Love Child Is Coming Home” abruptly veers into country pastiche. The six-minute “Lady Coryell” shifts from sustained harmonic tension into a slow, droning catharsis with psychedelic dissonance. “The Dream Thing” layers mid-tempo blues gestures in airy stereo panning. “Treats Style” explores upright swing phrasing with doubled guitar lines. “Stiff Neck” opens sparse but mutates midway into overdriven distortion. “Cleo’s Mood” closes the set with multi-tracked lines that build toward backmasked solo effects.

A1. “Herman Wright” (3:21)
A2. “Sunday Telephone” (2:27)
A3. “Two Minute Classical” (2:08)
A4. “Love Child Is Coming Home” (2:31)
A5. “Lady Coryell” (6:31)

B1. “The Dream Thing” (2:23)
B2. “Treats Style” (5:42) — originated as a 1967 composition by Jimmy Garrison
B3. “You Don’t Know What Love Is” (2:35) — originated as a 1941 ballad by Gene de Paul and Don Raye
B4. “Stiff Neck” (7:12)
B5. “Cleo’s Mood” (4:20) — originated as a 1962 single by Junior Walker

Sessions occurred in 1968 at Vanguard Studios with Coryell and Danny Weiss co-producing. Elvin Jones recorded his parts in separate overdub sessions.

Lady Coryell features cover art by Jules Halfant, depicting a tinted portrait of Julie Coryell in soft photographic relief.

Coryell

Larry Coryell released his second solo album, Coryell, in December 1969 on Vanguard.

The album builds on Lady Coryell with fuller instrumentation and tighter production, emphasizing distorted electric tones, sharp tempo shifts, and sustained fusion jamming. It highlights Coryell’s transition from psych-informed blues rock to high-energy jazz experimentation.

Coryell plays guitar, bass, keyboards, and sings on several tracks. Keyboardist Mike Mandel contributes organ and piano; Bernard Purdie drums on most tracks, joined variously by Chuck Rainey, Albert Stinson, Mervin Bronson, and Ron Carter on bass. Jim Pepper adds flute and saxophone to the closing number.

Coryell composed five of the album’s seven tracks, including the nine-minute “Jam with Albert” and the mid-album “Elementary Guitar Solo #5.” He co-wrote the slow-burners “No One Really Knows” and “Ah Wuv Ooh” with his wife, Julie Coryell, who also penned the liner notes.

“Sex” opens with slashing guitar and thick wah pedal leads over Mandel’s swirling organ and Purdie’s locked-in backbeat. “Beautiful Woman” starts sparse and bluesy before quickening into a tight rhythm pattern with overlaid fuzz riffs. “The Jam with Albert” stretches over a cycling vamp as Coryell tears through elongated phrases and register jumps. “Elementary Guitar Solo #5” opens solo and clean but shifts into a grinding boogie with rapid guitar bursts and blocky keyboard accents. “No One Really Knows” pivots from folk-inflected verse to a hard-charging midsection with clustered notes and rising tension. “Morning Sickness” moves at brisk pace with sharp hits and angular bends. “Ah Wuv Ooh” contrasts multitracked leads against soft flute lines and delayed resolution.

A1. “Sex” (3:54)
A2. “Beautiful Woman” (4:36)
A3. “The Jam with Albert” (9:19)
A4. “Elementary Guitar Solo #5” (6:52)

B1. “No One Really Knows” (5:08) — co-written with Julie Coryell
B2. “Morning Sickness” (5:22)
B3. “Ah Wuv Ooh” (4:24) — co-written with Julie Coryell

Sessions occurred in 1969 at Apostolic Studios in New York City with Daniel Weiss producing and David Baker, Paul Berkowitz, and Randy Rand engineering.

Coryell features a double-exposure photo design by Mike Sullivan and Jules Halfant, blending portraiture and abstraction in a blue-hued psychedelic image of the artist.

Spaces

Larry Coryell released his third solo album, Spaces, in November 1970 on Vanguard.

Spaces captures an early and influential meeting of fusion pioneers months after their respective Miles Davis sessions. The material bridges traditional acoustic interplay and nascent jazz-rock abstraction, marking a stylistic pivot toward improvisational duets and ensemble-driven modal exploration.

Coryell shares lead guitar duties with John McLaughlin. Miroslav Vitouš plays upright bass (plucked and bowed) while Billy Cobham drums on four tracks with trademark syncopation. Chick Corea appears once on Fender Rhodes, adding harmonic tension to the closer. The lineup predates the formal launches of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and Return to Forever.

Coryell composed two tracks and interpreted works by Julie Coryell, René Thomas, Scott LaFaro, and one fragment of his own. Julie contributes the expansive title piece and “Chris,” both vehicles for interplay. “Wrong Is Right” frames a continuous relay of solos between guitar and bowed bass.

“Spaces (Infinite)” alternates clipped motifs with wide solo intervals as Coryell and McLaughlin volley leads over Vitouš’s rapid movement and Cobham’s open-tuned accents. “René’s Theme” pares down to dual acoustic guitars in Django-like phrasing. “Gloria’s Step” slows the tempo with bowed legato and brushed cymbals. “Wrong Is Right” raises the pace again in a sharp-edged duel with abrupt transitions and dissonant resolutions. “Chris” starts restrained but stretches into three-way passages with Corea’s clustered Rhodes voicings. The brief “New Year’s Day in Los Angeles 1968” closes the set on an archival note.

A1. “Spaces (Infinite)” (9:23) — composed by Julie Coryell
A2. “René’s Theme” (4:12) — composed by René Thomas
A3. “Gloria’s Step” (4:32) — composed by Scott LaFaro

B1. “Wrong Is Right” (9:02) — composed by Larry Coryell
B2. “Chris” (9:32) — composed by Julie Coryell
B3. “New Year’s Day in Los Angeles 1968” (0:21)

Sessions occurred in March 1970 at Vanguard’s 23rd Street Studios in New York City with producer Daniel Weiss and engineers David Baker and Paul Berkowitz.

Spaces features cover art by Jacques Wyrs, whose surreal, colorful painting evokes planetary and architectural dreamscapes.

Larry Coryell at the Village Gate

In 1971, Vanguard issued Live at the Village Gate, a document of Larry Coryell’s electric trio captured over two nights at the famed New York venue.

Departing from his earlier acoustic fusion, this set finds Coryell fronting a rock-informed power trio with extended improvisations, dense tonal effects, and a psychedelic edge reminiscent of Band of Gypsys-era Hendrix.

Coryell handles electric guitar and vocals throughout, supported by bassist Mervin Bronson and drummer Harry Wilkinson. Julie Coryell makes her recorded debut as a vocalist on the closing number.

Coryell composed three of the album’s five tracks and co-wrote “Beyond These Chilling Winds” with Julie. He also interprets Chick Corea’s “Entardecendo en Saudade” and covers “Can You Follow?” by Jack Bruce, with whom he previously toured in 1968.

“The Opening” unfolds as a heavy blues modal jam, thick with wah pedal phrasing and chromatic riffs. “After Later” cycles through rhythmic surges and fragmented vocal interludes. The Corea piece drifts through rubato passages, with ghosted cymbal work and single-note commentary. “Can You Follow?” builds from quiet phrasing into sustained melodic arcs with fluctuating dynamic tension. “Beyond These Chilling Winds” contrasts Julie’s wistful vocals against Coryell’s circular arpeggios and steady rhythmic comping.

A1. “The Opening” (6:30)
A2. “After Later” (6:01)
A3. “Entardecendo en Saudade” (8:02) — composed by Chick Corea

B1. “Can You Follow?” (9:33) — originated as a 1969 song by Jack Bruce
B2. “Beyond These Chilling Winds” (8:05) — co-written with Julie Coryell

Performances were recorded live on January 21–22, 1971, at the Village Gate in New York City with producer Jack Lothrop.

Live at the Village Gate features a cover photo of Coryell with his young son Murali, captured in soft monochrome lighting.

Fairyland

In 1971, Mega issued Fairyland, a document of Larry Coryell’s June 18 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

The set captures Coryell in power-trio formation with Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie, moving beyond jazz-rock formalism into extended modal improv and amp-saturated abstraction. Fairyland builds on the electric template of Village Gate but trades vocal passages and tight motifs for distortion-fueled solo flights.

Coryell handles electric guitar and vocals on one track. Rainey plays electric bass with roaming lines and doubled pedal figures. Purdie applies fluid, reactive kit work across the set, favoring loose meter and sharp cymbal attacks.

Coryell composed three of the album’s four tracks, each structured loosely around vamp figures with open interpretive space. The third number, “Stones,” was written by Doug Davis.

“Souls Dirge” opens with a slow pentatonic vocal refrain and gradually builds tension through layered effects and dense interval phrasing. “Eskdalemuir” pulses over droning root tones and jagged fretboard runs with clipped snare fills. “Stones” introduces a staggered thematic figure that recedes into wide solo stretches, with Rainey anchoring cross-bar subdivisions. “Further Explorations for Albert Stinson” closes with turbulent phrasing and amplifier feedback over rapid cymbal motion, recalling the outer fringes of late-60s psychedelia.

A1. “Souls Dirge” (9:39)
A2. “Eskdalemuir” (8:38)
B1. “Stones” (7:08) — composed by Doug Davis
B2. “Further Explorations for Albert Stinson” (6:47)

The performance was recorded live on June 18, 1971, at the Montreux Jazz Festival and issued later that year on Mega Records’ Flying Dutchman Series with producer Bob Thiele.

Fairyland features cover art in saturated electric hues, matching the album’s amplified intensity with an abstract fantasy scene in line with Flying Dutchman’s psychedelic design aesthetic.

Barefoot Boy

Larry Coryell released Barefoot Boy in June 1971 on Flying Dutchman.

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, Barefoot Boy marks Coryell’s first fully realized studio fusion album. Unlike the fractured, jam-oriented structure of his prior releases, these sessions blend modal vamping, spiritual jazz atmospheres, and raw electric dynamics within sustained ensemble forms.

Coryell plays electric guitar throughout and composed two of the album’s three longform pieces. He’s joined by saxophonist Steve Marcus (soprano on side A, tenor on side B), pianist Mike Mandel (on the final track), and bassist Mervin Bronson. Roy Haynes provides drums, supported by Lawrence Killian on congas and Harry Wilkinson on auxiliary percussion.

Coryell covers “Gypsy Queen,” a 1966 modal jazz theme by Gábor Szabó. The remaining two pieces, “The Great Escape” and “Call to the Higher Consciousness,” evolve through collective interplay and sectional development.

“Gypsy Queen” opens with driving percussion and soaring soprano lines. Coryell joins midway with howling effects, clashing textures, and volume swells. “The Great Escape” rides a blues-funk vamp under Marcus’s pointed riffs and Coryell’s wah-driven flares. “Call to the Higher Consciousness” begins on suspended Rhodes chords with tenor sax improv, builds through guitar and piano solos, then drops into a Haynes drum showcase. The final minutes revive the theme in staggered layers before dissolving in soft guitar runs and clustered harmonies.

A1. “Gypsy Queen” (11:50) — composed by Gábor Szabó
A2. “The Great Escape” (8:39)
B1. “Call to the Higher Consciousness” (20:00)

Sessions occurred in early 1971 at Electric Lady Studios, New York, with producer Bob Thiele and engineer Eddie Kramer. Lillian Seyfert assisted in production.

Barefoot Boy features cover and liner photography by Bob Gruen. The stark design contrasts with the vivid sonics inside and stands as Coryell’s sole studio release for Flying Dutchman.

Offering

Larry Coryell released Offering in August 1972 on Vanguard.

The album consolidates Coryell’s transition from raw electric improvisation into intricate jazz-rock structures. It marks the second consecutive studio session with saxophonist Steve Marcus and keyboardist Mike Mandel, and the final studio work with drummer Harry Wilkinson and bassist Mervin Bronson before Coryell formed The Eleventh House.

Coryell plays electric guitar throughout and composed three of the album’s six tracks. Marcus plays soprano saxophone; Mandel adds fuzz-wah Rhodes textures. Wilkinson and Bronson supply the rhythm section with increasingly assertive interplay. Mandel and Wilkinson each contribute one composition; Doug Davis provides two.

“Foreplay” opens with a repeated ascending figure over which Coryell builds rapid, interlocking phrases. “Ruminations” shifts abruptly between rigid thematic bursts and sprinting solo passages. “Scotland I” rides a six-note ostinato while Marcus and Coryell trade sharp-edged lines in syncopated cycles. The title track, by Wilkinson, unites the group over a cyclic bass vamp with independent solos layered atop. “The Meditation of November 8th” slows the pace into ambient reflection with held tones and suspended cadences. “Beggar’s Chant” closes with a blues-rooted jam built on saturated chords and pentatonic riffs.

A1. “Foreplay” (8:11)
A2. “Ruminations” (4:17) — composed by Doug Davis
A3. “Scotland I” (6:26)

B1. “Offering” (6:37) — composed by Harry C. Wilkinson
B2. “The Meditation of November 8th” (5:12)
B3. “Beggar’s Chant” (8:07) — composed by Doug Davis

Sessions occurred on January 17, 18, and 20, 1972, at Vanguard’s 23rd Street Studios in New York City with producer Daniel Weiss and engineer Jeff Zaraya.

Offering features art direction by Jules Halfant with front and back cover photography by France Ing and John Jonas Gruen, respectively.

The Real Great Escape

Larry Coryell released The Real Great Escape in 1973 on Vanguard.

Following the structured fusion of Offering, this album pivots toward a looser, song-based format with amplified keyboards, pop-style horn arrangements, and expanded vocal presence. It marks the final appearance of Coryell’s early 1970s working group before he formed The Eleventh House.

Coryell sings lead and plays guitar and ARP synthesizer. Steve Marcus doubles on soprano and tenor saxophones. Mike Mandel plays electric piano and ARP, while Mervin Bronson and Harry Wilkinson return on bass and drums. Earl DeRouen adds congas and Bryan Wells arranges horns. Julie Coryell contributes vocals and songwriting.

Larry composed four tracks, including the opening title number and the side two jam “Makes Me Want to Shout.” Julie co-wrote “Scotland II” and penned the satirical “Are You Too Clever.” Coryell covers two songs by Jimmy Webb: the balladic “All My Love’s Laughter” and the upbeat closer “P.F. Sloan.”

“The Real Great Escape” opens with distorted guitar and staggered organ figures before evolving into a boogie-based jam with double sax leads and shifting meter. “Are You Too Clever” layers harmonized vocals over acoustic chords and modal loops, with synth runs punctuating the chorus. “Love Life’s Offering” keeps the tempo slow beneath sustained tones and phased vocals. “Makes Me Want to Shout” breaks into funk-blues phrasing with snappy snare figures and low-register sax licks. “All My Love’s Laughter” rests on minor-key electric piano voicings and Coryell’s subdued singing. “Scotland II” uses ARP textures over a stuttered riff as the rhythm section opens space for solo excursions. “P.F. Sloan” closes with brass stabs and a pop-rock delivery atypical of Coryell’s catalog.

A1. “The Real Great Escape” (7:33)
A2. “Are You Too Clever” (5:24) — composed by Julie Coryell
A3. “Love Life’s Offering” (3:21)

B1. “Makes Me Want to Shout” (5:23)
B2. “All My Love’s Laughter” (4:23) — composed by Jimmy Webb
B3. “Scotland II” (5:03) — co-written with Julie Coryell
B4. “P.F. Sloan” (4:01) — composed by Jimmy Webb

Sessions occurred in 1973 at Vanguard’s 23rd Street Studios in New York with producer Daniel Weiss and engineer Jeff Zaraya.

The Real Great Escape features photography by Joel Brodsky and art direction by Jules Halfant, with a collage-style cover depicting Coryell against tinted urban imagery.

Level One (1975 • The Eleventh House featuring Larry Coryell)

Planet End

Larry Coryell released Planet End in 1975 on Vanguard.

As his final release for the label, Planet End compiles material from two disparate sessions: a pair of 1969 Spaces outtakes with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitouš, and Billy Cobham, and two 1974 studio cuts by Coryell’s then-current Eleventh House lineup, recorded prior to their debut LP. A solo interlude links the two eras.

Coryell plays electric guitar on four tracks and overdubs all instruments on one acoustic-based piece. The 1974 lineup includes trumpeter Mike Lawrence, keyboardist Mike Mandel, bassist Danny Trifan, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. The 1969 lineup reprises the Spaces team of McLaughlin (guitar), Corea (electric piano), Vitouš (bass), and Cobham (drums).

The album opens with Mouzon’s “Cover Girl,” a high-velocity fusion piece with locked syncopation and stacked riffs. “Tyrone,” composed by organist Larry Young, stretches over eleven minutes with layered guitar commentary, Rhodes distortion, and shifting rhythmic accents. “Rocks,” penned by the Brecker brothers, layers wah keys and chattering trumpet atop a jagged rhythmic base. “The Eyes of Love,” recorded solo by Coryell, juxtaposes sliding blues phrases against delayed loops and overdubbed fills. The closing title track unites the Spaces team once more in a spiraling dialogue, with contrasting dynamics and an extended midsection drum feature.

A1. “Cover Girl” (5:37) — composed by Alphonse Mouzon
A2. “Tyrone” (11:35) — composed by Larry Young

B1. “Rocks” (4:48) — composed by Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker
B2. “The Eyes of Love” (3:21)
B3. “Planet End” (8:45)

The 1974 tracks were recorded by The Eleventh House at Vanguard’s 23rd Street Studios with producer Daniel Weiss. The 1969 material stems from the Spaces sessions, also produced by Weiss and engineered by David Baker.

Planet End features cover art by Jacques Wyrs, whose cosmic abstraction links this transitional release to Coryell’s earlier fusion phase.

The Restful Mind

Larry Coryell released The Restful Mind in 1975 on Vanguard.

Recorded during his Eleventh House period but diverging sharply in tone, The Restful Mind showcases Coryell in an acoustic setting with three members of the chamber-folk group Oregon: guitarist Ralph Towner, bassist Glen Moore, and percussionist Collin Walcott. The album blends elements of jazz, Baroque, raga, and fingerstyle folk across a subdued seven-track program.

Coryell plays acoustic and electric guitar, mostly unaccompanied or in sparse group arrangements. Towner adds nylon-string counterpoint and 12-string figures. Moore contributes bowed and plucked upright bass, and Walcott colors select tracks with tabla and congas. Together, they create airy, modal textures around Coryell’s originals and two baroque reinterpretations.

The album opens with “Improvisation on Robert de Visée’s Menuet II,” which builds on a classical theme with gently ascending cadences, gliding bass, and tabla punctuation. “Ann Arbor” weaves folk arpeggios into a rhythmic drone, joined in its middle by Oregon’s collective phrasing. Coryell performs Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Princess” as a solo, emphasizing open harmonics and suspended figures. The second Visée adaptation, “Sarabande,” blends elegant scalar passages with layered entrances from the ensemble. “Song for Jim Webb” stays brief and spare with suspended harmonies and minimal phrasing. “Julie La Belle” progresses from halting chords into a looser midsection over walking bass and jazz-tinged percussion. The closing title track cycles through an arpeggiated chord sequence in a gentle lull.

A1. “Improvisation on Robert de Visée’s Menuet II” (8:13)
A2. “Ann Arbor” (5:01)
A3. “Pavane for a Dead Princess” (5:40) — composed by Maurice Ravel

B1. “Improvisation on Robert de Visée’s Sarabande” (5:20)
B2. “Song for Jim Webb” (3:15)
B3. “Julie La Belle” (4:07)
B4. “The Restful Mind” (3:12)

Sessions took place at Vanguard’s 23rd Street Studios in New York with producer Daniel Weiss and engineer David Baker.

The Restful Mind was later excerpted on String Alchemy (2000) and Oregon anthologies Jade Muse (2003) and Best of the Vanguard Years (2006). Its cover features a pastoral sunset landscape, with design matching the album’s serene tone.

Aspects (1976 • The Eleventh House Featuring Larry Coryell)

Basics

Larry Coryell released Basics in 1976 on Vanguard. Despite its mid-’70s release date, Basics compiles material recorded at Apostolic Studios in 1968 and 1969. These eight tracks present Coryell in an early transitional phase between psychedelic rock and the emerging jazz-rock idiom. The material—some of which overlaps with or previews elements from his 1969–70 releases—offers insight into his formative electric style before the advent of The Eleventh House.

Coryell handles guitar and vocals across the set, joined by organist Mike Mandel, bassist Ron Carter, bassist Chuck Rainey, drummers Bernard Purdie and Steve Haas, and percussionist Ray Mantilla. An uncredited saxophonist appears on the opener and the jam-based “Jam With Albert,” possibly Albert Ayler. The sound ranges from blues-rock and garage jams to proto-fusion and modal explorations, with variable fidelity and spontaneous energy.

“Call to the Higher Consciousness” opens the album with loose ensemble interplay over a basic blues progression, with solo rotations on sax, guitar, and congas. “Slow Blues” shifts into traditional form with emotive phrasing and tight leads. “Friday Night” channels a swamp-blues rhythm over succinct bursts of slide and gritty vocals. “Half a Heart” features Santana-like guitar lines, modal shifts, and layered vocals over a minor pattern. “Sex” employs electric 12-string textures over congas and organ swells in a rock-blues format. “Tyrone,” a Larry Young cover, centers on a loping bassline with airy guitar phrasing. “Jam with Albert” pairs angular riffs and swirling organ with aggressive sax and dense percussion. “Organ Blues” closes the set with Mandel’s sustained Hammond voicings and spacious guitar–organ dialogue.

A1. “Call to the Higher Consciousness” (5:17)
A2. “Slow Blues” (4:22)
A3. “Friday Night” (2:22)
A4. “Half a Heart” (3:30)

B1. “Sex” (4:32)
B2. “Tyrone” (3:00)
B3. “Jam with Albert” (2:55)
B4. “Organ Blues” (5:19)

Sessions took place at Apostolic Studios in New York City with artwork by Omar Safwat. Vanguard issued the material on LP in 1976 (VSD 79375) and reissued it in 2000 on CD in Italy (VMD 79375).

Though Basics reflects a dated sonic palette by its release year, it captures Coryell’s formative explorations in blues, soul-jazz, and psych-inflected rock, anticipating elements of his 1970s fusion style.

The Lion and the Ram

Larry Coryell released The Lion and the Ram in 1976 on Arista.

This all-acoustic album marked a stylistic departure for Coryell, whose prior output largely centered on electric jazz-rock. Here, he explores classical forms, chamber fusion, and acoustic pop with support from select collaborators, including keyboardist Mike Mandel and violinist Michał Urbaniak. The album features lyrics by Julie Coryell on two vocal numbers.

Coryell performs unaccompanied on most tracks, overdubbing multiple guitars. On “Toy Soldiers” and “Short Time Around,” he expands the palette with additional instrumentation, including Fender Rhodes bass (Joe Beck), piano (Mandel), and string synth. Guitarist Danny Toan appears on “Toy Soldiers”; Urbaniak plays violin on the title track.

The album opens with “Larry’s Boogie,” a rootsy two-guitar dialogue. “Stravinsky” and “Improvisation on Bach Lute Prelude” channel baroque textures through modal phrasings. “Toy Soldiers” layers 12-string runs and harmonic loops across seven minutes. “Short Time Around,” with vocals and light synth backing, recalls soft-focus Genesis ballads. Side B moves between wistful acoustic miniatures (“Song for My Friend’s Children,” “The Fifties,” “Domesticity”) and more dynamic duets (“Bicentennial Head Fest”). The closing title track blends folk-blues progressions with Urbaniak’s lyrical counterpoint.

A1. “Larry’s Boogie” (3:31)
A2. “Stravinsky” (3:17)
A3. “Toy Soldiers” (7:40)
A4. “Short Time Around” (Larry Coryell, Julie Coryell) (4:01)
A5. “Improvisation on Bach Lute Prelude” (2:00)

B1. “Songs for My Friend’s Children” (Mike Mandel) (2:45)
B2. “Bicentennial Head Fest” (3:19)
B3. “Domesticity” (3:26)
B4. “The Fifties” (2:12)
B5. “The Lion and the Ram” (Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Julie Coryell) (4:26)

Sessions took place at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, with Coryell acting as producer. The album appeared between two fusion-oriented titles, Aspects and Twin House, highlighting his stylistic range during the mid-1970s.

Back Together Again (Coryell / Mouzon)

In July 1977, Alphonse Mouzon and Larry Coryell released Back Together Again, a collaborative album on MPS (Germany) and Atlantic (US).

The album blends jazz fusion with rock and funk elements, emphasizing interplay between Coryell’s lead guitar and Mouzon’s drums. Bassist John Lee and guitarist Philip Catherine provide rhythmic and harmonic support, while Mouzon contributes vocals on several tracks.

Mouzon composed and arranged four tracks: “Beneath the Earth,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll Lovers,” “Get On Up (We Gonna Boogie),” and “Back Together Again.” Larry Coryell composed “Reconciliation,” “Mr. C,” and “High Love.” Julie Coryell contributed the composition for “Crystallization,” and John Lee wrote “The Phonse.” Catherine submitted “Transvested Express.”

The album opens with the driving, layered rhythms of “Beneath the Earth,” featuring dual guitars from Coryell and Catherine. “Transvested Express” and “Crystallization” showcase angular guitar lines, tight ensemble interplay, and Mouzon’s dynamic drumming. Funk-leaning tracks like “Get On Up (We Gonna Boogie)” and “Back Together Again” emphasize tempo variation and dense, interlocking instrumental lines. “High Love” presents a more expansive acoustic guitar focus, highlighting intricate solos by Coryell and Catherine.

A1. “Beneath the Earth” (2:58)
A2. “The Phonse” (3:43)
A3. “Transvested Express” (3:49)
A4. “Crystallization” (3:17)
A5. “Rock ‘N’ Roll Lovers” (4:02)

B1. “Get On Up (We Gonna Boogie)” (2:49)
B2. “Reconciliation” (2:30)
B3. “Back Together Again” (3:07)
B4. “Mr. C” (3:28)
B5. “High Love” (5:49)

Sessions occurred at Atlantic Studios, with Alphonse Mouzon and Larry Coryell producing and Julie Coryell assisting. Ron Johnsen handled recording and mixing, with mastering and lacquer cutting completed by Dennis King and D.K., assisted by Jay Krugman.

The album features cover photography by Joel Brodsky and art direction by Bob Defrin.

Twin-House (Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine)

Larry Coryell and Philip Catherine released Twin House in 1977 on Elektra.

The album marks a departure from the plugged-in fusion styles that defined Coryell’s earlier-70s output. Twin House presents an all-acoustic set of guitar duets that emphasize contrapuntal interplay, harmonic subtlety, and spontaneous dialogue between two distinct but complementary stylists.

Coryell and Catherine play unaccompanied acoustic guitars throughout, with no overdubs apart from select double-tracked voicings on “Ms. Julie” and “Airpower.” Coryell’s brisk phrasing and sharp turns contrast with Catherine’s smoother, Reinhardt-inspired lines. Both guitarists alternate lead and accompaniment roles, often mid-phrase, using wide dynamic range and elastic pacing.

Catherine wrote four of the album’s eight tracks, including the delicate “Homecomings” and bustling “Airpower.” Coryell contributed “Ms. Julie” and arranged the Keith Jarrett cover “Mortgage on My Soul.” They also interpret “Nuages” by Django Reinhardt and “Gloryell” by Jimmy Webb. The interplay suggests real-time mutual responsiveness rather than showmanship or competition.

“Ms. Julie” opens with staggered voicings and compressed phrasing that broaden into arpeggiated cascades. “Airpower” moves with kinetic runs and crisscrossing figures that tighten near the midpoint. “Mortgage on My Soul” reimagines Jarrett’s somber piece with clipped patterns and open chord voicings. “Gloryell” draws out quiet glissandi beneath sustained upper tones. “Twice a Week” ends the set with shifting rhythmic accents and half-time suspensions.

A1. “Ms. Julie” (5:27)
A2. “Homecomings” (5:57)
A3. “Airpower” (4:02)
A4. “Twin House” (4:54)

B1. “Mortgage on My Soul” (3:01) — originated as a 1972 solo piece by Keith Jarrett
B2. “Gloryell” (7:16) — originated as a 1974 composition by Jimmy Webb
B3. “Nuages” (5:18) — originated as a 1940s jazz standard by Django Reinhardt
B4. “Twice a Week” (4:42)

Sessions occurred in 1977 at Olympic Studios in London with producer Siegfried Loch.

Better Than Live (1978 • Larry Coryell & The Brubeck Brothers)

Difference (1978)

European Impressions (1978)

Splendid (Coryell / Catherine)

Larry Coryell and Philip Catherine released Splendid in 1978 on Elektra.

The album follows Twin House as the duo’s second collaborative acoustic session, this time augmenting their interplay with occasional electric guitar and a guest appearance by pianist Joachim Kühn. Splendid further explores tonal contrast, modal voicing, and duo responsiveness across a wider set of compositional sources.

Coryell and Catherine alternate on six- and twelve-string acoustic guitars; Catherine also plays fretless electric on select cuts. Kühn appears on one track with dramatic upper-range flourishes and chromatic descent. Coryell’s phrasing is more percussive and angular, while Catherine contributes smoother counter-lines and layered runs. Voicing remains distinct and open even in fast passages.

Coryell wrote three tracks and co-arranged “A Quiet Day in Spring,” composed by Julie Coryell. Catherine contributes two originals: “Transvested Express” and the closing miniature “Father Christmas.” The duo interprets Django Reinhardt’s “My Serenade,” Piazzolla’s “Deus Xango” with Kühn, and closes with Jimmy Giuffre’s “The Train and the River,” a thematic resolution to their earlier “Nuages” cover on Twin House.

“One Plus Two Blues” moves in clipped three-note cycles with syncopated double-stops. “Snowshadows” drops into half-time with wide chord gaps and light tremolo. “Deus Xango” opens with isolated scalar piano and cascades into unison breaks and bowed-like strums. “No More Booze” alternates rhythmic hits with bent upper voicings. “The Train and the River” moves in smooth plucked thirds above staggered descending patterns.

A1. “One Plus Two Blues” (5:17)
A2. “Snowshadows” (3:29)
A3. “Transvested Express” (5:20)
A4. “Deus Xango” (5:27) — composed by Astor Piazzolla
B1. “My Serenade” (4:54) — originated as a 1937 piece by Django Reinhardt
B2. “No More Booze” (3:43)
B3. “Father Christmas” (2:39)
B4. “A Quiet Day in Spring” (4:02) — composed by Julie Coryell
B5. “The Train and the River” (4:48) — originated as a 1957 composition by Jimmy Giuffre

Sessions occurred in February 1978 at Rüssl Studio in Hamburg with producer Siegfried E. Loch and engineer Thomas Kuckuck.

Splendid features cover photography by Jacques Hartz and liner notes by Mike Hennessey.

Return

Larry Coryell released Return in 1979 on Vanguard. The album marked Coryell’s first electric-focused project since his mid‑70s acoustic work.

He centered the session on tightly framed ensemble writing, using compact forms that emphasize forward motion and rhythmic clarity instead of extended harmonic excursions.

Backing players include pianist Darius Brubeck, bassist Chris Brubeck, drummer Dan Brubeck, and percussionist Ray Mantilla. Darius shapes the harmonic contour with bright chord clusters and quick right-hand flurries. Chris outlines firm bass patterns with a rounded upper register, and Dan drives the set with crisp accents. Mantilla adds light cross‑rhythmic color beneath Coryell’s lines.

Coryell wrote “Cisco at the Disco,” “Rue Grégoire Du Tour,” and “Sweet Shuffle.” Darius Brubeck composed “Three Mile Island” and the title track, both built on repeating figures that open space for short exchanges. The closing medley combines two pieces by Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía, reshaped for Coryell’s electric articulation and Brubeck’s keyboard commentary.

“Cisco at the Disco” moves through clipped electric phrases over a steady pulse, tightening into brief ascending bursts. “Three Mile Island” pivots between piano-led motifs and syncopated guitar replies. “Sweet Shuffle” settles into wide chord slides and intermittent double‑stops. “Return” stretches its central pattern through subtle tempo shifts. The final medley alternates fast tremolo runs with held-tone cadences and short piano interjections.

A1. “Cisco at the Disco” (5:37)
A2. “Rue Grégoire Du Tour” (4:37)
A3. “Three Mile Island” (5:50)

B1. “Return” (5:30)
B2. “Sweet Shuffle” (6:21)
B3. “Mediterranean Sundance / Entre Dos Aguas” (5:49) — originated as 1970s pieces by Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía

Sessions occurred on June 4–6, 1979, at Vanguard Studios in New York with producer Danny Weiss and engineer Mark Berry.

Tributaries

Larry Coryell released Tributaries in late 1979 on Arista Novus. The album presents an all-acoustic trio of Coryell with fellow guitarists Joe Beck and John Scofield.

Tributaries emphasizes tonal contrast and layered voicing over rhythm section interplay, marking a further move away from Coryell’s electric jazz-rock output of the early 1970s.

Coryell plays six- and twelve-string acoustic guitar on all tracks. Beck and Scofield appear individually and together across most pieces, creating dense yet spacious textures through interlocking lines, fingerpicked chords, and alternating rhythmic figures. Only “Solo on Wednesday” features Coryell unaccompanied. Each guitarist maintains a distinct tone—Coryell’s sharp-edged and resonant, Beck’s dry and compact, and Scofield’s smooth with tight phrasing.

Coryell wrote four tracks, including the flamenco-tinged “Zimbabwe” and the lyrical “Thurman Munson.” He co-wrote “Mother’s Day” with Beck and selected two covers: “Little B’s Poem” by Bobby Hutcherson and “Equinox” by John Coltrane. Scofield contributes the closing track “Alster Fields.” The writing alternates between introspective themes and ensemble workouts structured around repetitive figures and modal progressions.

“The File” unfolds through clipped phrases and descending cadences with guitarists trading upper register voicings. “Zimbabwe” builds on shifting accents, plucked ornamentation, and layered ostinati. “Thurman Munson” drifts on spare chordal fragments and slow upward motion. “Alster Fields” rotates short scalar runs over suspended voicings. “Solo on Wednesday” isolates Coryell’s phrasing in compressed intervals and long sustain.

A1. “The File” (4:49)
A2. “Mother’s Day” (3:18)
A3. “Little B’s Poem” (4:26) — originated as a 1965 Blue Note recording by Bobby Hutcherson
A4. “Zimbabwe” (8:10)

B1. “Solo on Wednesday” (2:56)
B2. “Thurman Munson” (5:22)
B3. “Equinox” (5:04) — originated as a 1964 composition by John Coltrane
B4. “Alster Fields” (5:27)

Sessions occurred on August 17 & 23 and September 17 & 19, 1979, at Soundmixers in New York City with producer Michael Cuscuna and engineer Tim Bomba.

Tributaries features cover photography by John E. Barrett with design and art direction by Ron Kellum.

Bolero

Larry Coryell released Boléro in 1981 on String Records.

The album presents a hybrid program of classical reinterpretations and acoustic miniatures, later expanded on CD with material from the 1983 LP At the Airport, recorded with guitarist Brian Keane. The material contrasts solo études with flamenco-inspired dialogues, emphasizing modal progressions, baroque figures, and lyrical phrasing over rhythmic density.

Coryell performs all tracks on six- and twelve-string guitar, joined by Keane on eight of the CD selections. Their interplay favors contrapuntal motion, harmonic layering, and tightly voiced runs with minimal overdubbing. Solo cuts alternate between romantic themes and impressionistic sketches. Keane’s contributions lean toward soft-toned modal etudes and impressionistic passages built around lyrical intervals.

Coryell composed nine tracks, including the ornamented “Elegancia del Sol” and chromatic “La Pluie.” He opens with “Improvisation on Boléro” and later reworks the “Prelude from Le Tombeau de Couperin” by Ravel. Keane wrote five of the expanded CD tracks, including “Brazilia” and “Warm Weather,” and co-wrote “At the Airport” with S. Schneider.

“Improvisation on Boléro” deconstructs the Ravel theme in staggered voicings and layered scale motion. “6th Watch Hill Road” builds on repeated dyads that gradually fan into cross-hand figures. “Blues in Madrid” places clipped thirds over faint trailing phrases. “Brazilia” arcs through steady pulse cycles and sliding harmonic figures. “Lines” weaves close-register phrasing into long decaying patterns.

Sessions occurred between April 18, 1981, and November 1983 at Tonstudio in Stuttgart and Scovil Productions in Norwalk, Connecticut, with producers Gabriel Kleinschmidt and Brian Keane.

Standing Ovation (1981)

The Duo (1982 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)

A Quiet Day in Spring (1983 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)

Facts of Life (1983 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)

Le Sacre du Printemps (1983)

Round Midnight (1983 • Fumio Karashima Trio / Larry Coryell)

Comin’ Home

Larry Coryell released Comin’ Home in 1984 on Muse.

The album marks Coryell’s most overt engagement with acoustic post-bop, recorded with a working quartet fresh off a live run at the Village Vanguard. Unlike his electric or duet-based works of the period, Comin’ Home repositions Coryell as a traditionalist in a straight-ahead piano quartet setting.

Backing players include pianist Albert Dailey, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Billy Hart. Dailey shares the foreground with tightly voiced comping and fluid solos. Mraz outlines harmonic roots with occasional scalar fills, and Hart provides subdued but responsive motion. Julie Coryell sings the closing ballad over solo guitar.

Coryell wrote four of the six tracks, including the opener “Good Citizen Swallow” and the angular “Twelve and Twelve.” He interprets Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation” and the Rodgers & Hart standard “It Never Entered My Mind,” the latter serving as a closing vocal piece. The originals span walking swing and altered blues changes, with emphasis on ensemble blend and tone.

“Good Citizen Swallow” opens with four-bar phrases that fold into long single-note runs and tight piano responses. “Glorielle” drifts on suspended harmonies, piano fill-ins, and soft cymbal detail. “Twelve and Twelve” cycles quick guitar figures over an irregular form. “No More Booze, Minor Blues” stretches over altered chords and triplet pacing. “Confirmation” retains its bebop phrasing but leans into relaxed rhythmic framing.

A1. “Good Citizen Swallow” (6:08)
A2. “Glorielle” (7:52)
A3. “Twelve and Twelve” (4:53)

B1. “No More Booze, Minor Blues” (7:32)
B2. “Confirmation” (6:14) — originated as a 1946 bebop piece by Charlie Parker
B3. “It Never Entered My Mind” (4:25) — originated as a 1940 Rodgers & Hart standard

Sessions occurred on August 28, 1984, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with producer Michael Cuscuna.

Just Like Being Born (1984 • Larry Coryell & Brian Keane)

The Four Seasons (1984 • Kazuhito Yamashita & Larry Coryell)

Together (Larry Coryell & Emily Remler)

Larry Coryell and Emily Remler released Together in 1985 on Concord Jazz.

The album pairs two distinct guitar stylists from different generations in an all-duet acoustic-electric setting. Recorded direct-to-two-track, it reveals a close conversational dynamic in real time, with contrasting articulations that maintain structural cohesion across a mix of standards and originals.

Coryell plays Gibson Super 400 and Ovation Adamas guitars; Remler plays a Borys electric and shares Adamas duties on the two acoustic pieces. Both musicians trade lead and comp roles with clarity—Coryell’s phrasing more angular and overt, Remler’s more fluid and rhythmic. The duo favors tone blending over unison, using dynamic shifts and voicing contrast as their primary means of interaction.

Coryell contributed two originals: the modal “Arubian Nights” and the extended-meter piece “Six Beats, Six Strings.” Remler chose four standards, including Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring” and Jobim’s “How Insensitive.” They also interpret “Gerri’s Blues” by Pat Martino and “How My Heart Sings” by Earl Zindars. The set alternates bossa, ballad, swing, and waltz frameworks with emphasis on melodic lead exchange and reactive comping.

“Arubian Nights” opens with alternating voicings that resolve into Spanish-tinged phrasing and loose counter-rhythm. “Joy Spring” accelerates into head-trading above sliding thirds and picked bass tones. “How My Heart Sings” glides through triple meter with rhythmic doubling and staggered phrasing. “Gerri’s Blues” balances soft block chords with scalar pull-offs. “How Insensitive” stretches tempo and touch with rubato pulse and suspended phrasing.

A1. “Arubian Nights” (5:50)
A2. “Joy Spring” (5:44) — originated as a 1954 composition by Clifford Brown
A3. “Ill Wind” (6:27) — originated as a 1934 Harold Arlen standard
A4. “How My Heart Sings” (5:43) — originated as a 1962 Earl Zindars waltz

B1. “Six Beats, Six Strings” (6:57)
B2. “Gerri’s Blues” (5:29) — composed by Pat Martino
B3. “How Insensitive” (8:27) — originated as a 1963 bossa nova by Antônio Carlos Jobim

Sessions occurred in August 1985 at Coast Recorders in San Francisco with producer Carl E. Jefferson.

Discography:

Lady Coryell (1969)
Coryell (1969)
Spaces (1970)
Barefoot Boy (1971)
Offering (1972)
The Real Great Escape (1973)
Level One (1975 • The Eleventh House featuring Larry Coryell)
Planet End (1975)
The Restful Mind (1975)
Aspects (1976 • The Eleventh House Featuring Larry Coryell)
Basics (1976)
The Lion and the Ram (1976)
Back Together Again (1977 • Coryell / Mouzon)
Twin-House (1977 • Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine)
Better Than Live (1978 • Larry Coryell & The Brubeck Brothers)
Difference (1978)
European Impressions (1978)
Splendid (1978 • Coryell / Catherine)
Return (1979)
Tributaries (1979)
Bolero (1981)
Standing Ovation (1981)
The Duo (1982 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)
A Quiet Day in Spring (1983 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)
Facts of Life (1983 • Larry Coryell & Michał Urbaniak)
Le Sacre du Printemps (1983)
Round Midnight (1983 • Fumio Karashima Trio / Larry Coryell)
Comin’ Home (1984)
Just Like Being Born (1984 • Larry Coryell & Brian Keane)
The Four Seasons (1984 • Kazuhito Yamashita & Larry Coryell)
The 11th House (1985 • Alphonse Mouzon & Larry Coryell)
Together (1985 • Larry Coryell & Emily Remler)
& Special Guests (1986 • Biréli Lagrène, Larry Coryell & Miroslav Vitous)
Bolero (1986 • Larry Coryell & Brian Keane)
Equipoise (1986)
Dedicated to Bill Evans & Scott La Faro (1987 • Larry Coryell & Miroslav Vitous)
Air Dancing (1988 • Larry Coryell Quartet)
Toku Do (1988)
Dragon Gate (1989)