I’ve had the pleasure of announcing many Larry Coryell tunes over the years. Larry, who passed on February 19th at age 73, was always relevant. In just the past decade he collaborated with other jazz greats like pianist Kenny Drew Jr. and the Wide Hive Players, and kept churning out solo releases.My absolute favorite way to talk about Mr. Coryell on the air was when I had played something from drummer Chico Hamilton’s 1966 album The Dealer. Right there on the album cover, underneath the title, are the words, “Introducing Larry Coryell.” I thought it was so cool to be able to present such a brilliant piece of jazz history to the WRTI audience! He went from a young guitarist that Chico discovered jamming on the street to being known as the “Godfather of Fusion.”
We will celebrate the life and music of Larry Coryell on WRTI this week. Be sure to tune in during jazz hours to catch a piece of his musical journey.