Influential Fusion Guitarist Larry Coryell 1943 – 2017
By Scott Bernstein Feb 21, 2017 • 9:08 am PST
73-year-old guitarist Larry Coryell, who earned the nickname “Godfather Of Fusion,” passed away in a New York City hotel room on Sunday. Coryell’s publicist confirmed to Rolling Stone that the guitarist died of natural causes and his death came after he performed at the Iridium jazz club on Friday and Saturday nights.
Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas in 1943 and grew up near Seattle before moving to New York City in 1965. The guitarist formed The Free Spirits in 1966 and within the next few years would issue a pair of solo albums which laid the groundwork for the coming jazz fusion movement. Coryell released Spaces, perhaps his most influential album, in 1970. The LP featured contributions from John McLaughlin on guitar, Chick Corea on electric piano, Miroslav Vitouš on bass and Billy Cobham on drums. McLaughlin, Corea and Cobham would each appear on Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew shortly thereafter.
Over his more than 40-year career Coryell recorded with a who’s who of jazz and rock and issued dozens of releases both under his own name and as part of various ensembles. Billboard notes Larry’s last LP, Barefoot Man: Sanpaku, came out last October with Seven Secrets from his 11th House project due June 2. Our thoughts are with Larry Coryell’s friends and family.
