Larry Coryell
has ventured down many musical paths, but his soul belongs to
jazz
. These freewheeling excerpts from three live sets at
the Jazz Showcase
in Chicago find the guitarist at the top of his game, accompanied by an intuitive rhythm section, bassist
Larry Gray
and drummer
Paul Wertico
. The opener is a startling
"Autumn Leaves,"
an adventurous wide-ranging performance that begins in a
post-bop
setting and almost (but not quite) transforms into
avant-garde
.
Coryell
's sensuous treatment of
"Black Orpheus"
and his masterful acoustic solo of
"Love Is Here to Stay"
also prove to be captivating.
"Star Eyes"
alternates between a soothing
samba
and a cooking
bop
vehicle. He especially brings out the lyrical qualities within
George Harrison
's
"Something"
with a soft, spacious solo interpretation. His one original is the funky
"Good Citizen Swallow,"
followed by a brilliant lengthy excursion into
Milt Jackson
"Bag's Groove."
Live
just doesn't get any better than this. ~ Ken Dryden