Improvising: My Life in Music (Includes Audio CD) by Larry Coryell
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Book Reviews of Improvising: My Life in Music (Includes Audio CD)
Book Review: Larry Coryell
Summary: 5 Stars
As I am a fan of Larry Coryell, who is one of the most outstanding and innovative Guitarplayers of our time,
I was happy to read about his way in music and life. In this book Larry speaks about the turning points of his career
and for fans who know his first records like Spaces, Offering, Coryell, records with Eleventh House or Philippe Catherine
there are many fine anecdots, intersperse with humour.
Larry gives us insight in his private life and troubles with drugs and is always honest about the true in his actions, bad or good.
So, thank you Larry for your openhearted letter from your world of music.
(I also bought the DVD 'A Retrospective' and this concert of Larry
with pieces from the years of discovery is infectious.)
Book Review: Worthwhile reading
Summary: 5 Stars
Larry Coryell transports you back in time when fusion music was blooming and offers a unique inside view into that interesting period of music history. Coryell was in the eye of the fusion hurricane and his account of the music and musicians of that era as well as his personal musical journey is fascinating. I learned a lot about not only Coryell the man, but the music and musicians who shaped fusion music. In light of the above, I can forgive Mr. Coryell for misspelling Holdsworth's first name. This book is far more enlightening than the recent Kolosky book about the Mahavishnu Orchestra which, in my opinion, was a huge disappointment.Book Review: Coryell Bio Rocks!
Summary: 5 Stars
Coryell fans and newcomers to Coryell's music will enjoy this book for its insights into jazz and rock guitar, rock and jazz superstars, and the music business in general. Also important is the underlying message of the toll that the life in music can take in the form of drugs and alcohol. Nice segments on working with Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Bruce and many others. The CD that comes with the book is a great instructional tool with great narration and solo playing by Larry Coryell. A great Holiday gift. I bought three to give away.Book Review: Penetrating the Music
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a welcome book from a musician's musician, a man who followed his muse and helped kindle and create the next step in the evolution of jazz. I remember the Guitar Player articles (reprinted here) from the 70s, and I was amazed to learn that he actually is deaf in one ear! His chapter entitled, Do the better players really get overlooked? Does it matter? reminded me of the reasons for playing music that have largely become lost in our disposable culture: Success is relative. What matters most is How deeply have you penetrated the music? Larry penetrated the music: Put the CD Spaces up against any fusion album of that period including Bitche's Brew and it holds its own. In his duet on "Spain" with Al DiMeola on Youtube I think his playing is more varied, personal, and engaging than his partner's, someone who arguably has more name recognition. And regarding his not playing on Electric Ladyland, I suggest that Jimi dug Larry as much as Larry did Jimi, because Jimi was aspiring to be the complete jazz musician that Larry had in the late 60s already gone a long way in becoming. And about not joining Miles Davis, perhaps he weighed the pros and cons of furthering his career vs. dealing with an erratic personality when he himself was struggling with addiction. Larry deserves the summing up of his life that this book affords. He has told his story his way--a little disorganzed at times, unwilling to disparage his ex-wife or crappy managers in any detail, but able to paint a picture of the personal and larger social forces that shaped him and his playing. Maybe more than any other guitarist he has had a solid foot in both traditional jazz and jazz/rock. He survived his addictions and self-destuctive tendencies and continued to reinvent himself, to penetrate the music more and more.Book Review: the father of fusion
Summary: 4 Stars
I was always big fan of coryell(even with his sometimes excessive overplaying,I 'got it',Gary Burtons' 'Duster' was one of the 1st jazz records I bought because of the fast fingered guitar player-I was 14 or 15 at the time)
The Book:
Great read.You can really get the vibe of new york in the 60's when he tells the story.He put in a lot of time on his instrument,hung out with the great musicians of the day.He came up with the concept of playing altered scales/'jazz' lines over the rock rhythms.
He got into drugs and alcohol early on and it took years for him to get sober(and it strained his family life because of it) but thankfully he did get straight and is still here with us and playing great.
Thanks Larry
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