Beyond Fusion: Larry Coryell on WQXR
Larry Coryell’s name is nearly synonymous with jazz fusion, and understandably so. The late guitarist’s contributions to the development of the jazz-rock idiom were foundational, particularly his work in the 1960s with the Gary Burton Quartet and with the proto-fusion band The Free Spirits. His own 1970 album, Spaces (Vanguard), is often cited as a watershed recording that defined the jazz fusion genre.
But Larry Coryell’s musical interests extended well beyond the intersection of mainstream jazz and rock and roll. In 1976, after the breakup of his dynamic fusion band, The Eleventh House, Coryell began shifting his creative focus away from jazz fusion to explore a larger, more eclectic stylistic palette. The work in his post-fusion career often synthesized the musical languages of an array of seemingly disparate cultures: Indian classical, blues, flamenco, Western classical, country western, and the dance forms of Latin America, as well as jazz and rock. And his pared down, acoustic solo and small ensemble work of that time is considered by some to be his finest. Jazz critic David R. Adler wrote, “To hear Coryell at his best… was to really hear him, i.e., in more stripped-down and intimate settings. His duo collaborations and solo 6- and 12-string acoustic work remains some of the most inspired and imaginative in the annals of modern guitar."¹
...one of the more astounding moments, I think, in our Listening Room. –WQXR's Robert Sherman
On May 8th, 1985, Larry Coryell was a guest on WQXR's program The Listening Room. Coryell treated host Robert Sherman and his radio audience to a live in-studio performance of his composition for solo guitar, "Improvisation on Bolero." Coryell, performing on an acoustic Ovation Adamas 12-string, transformed Maurice Ravel’s staple of the orchestral repertoire into a dazzling showpiece for unaccompanied guitar. The breadth of Larry Coryell’s diverse musical influences, his genius for blurring the boundaries between genres, and his legendary virtuosity are all on full display in his WQXR appearence. Robert Sherman called Coryell’s performance, “one of the more astounding moments, I think, in our Listening Room.”
Larry Coryell's performance of "Improvisation on Bolero" and excerpts from his conversation with Robert Sherman are available in the media player at the top of this page. The full episode of The Listening Room from May 8th, 1985 is available here.
¹Adler, David R., Jazz-Rock Icon Larry Coryell Dies at 73, The Village Voice, 23-February-2017
WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations
