A hugely successful guitarist and composer,
Larry Carlton emerged from the Los Angeles studio scene of the late '60s, eventually becoming a popular contemporary jazz artist in his own right. Noted for his lithe technique, sweet-toned, blues-inflected sound, and distinctive use of volume pedals,
Carlton first came to prominence as a member of crossover jazz and R&B outfit
the Crusaders. From there, he developed into an in-demand session player, recording on up to 500 albums a year and appearing on over 100 gold albums. His studio credits from the '70s and early '80s include work with musicians and groups like
Steely Dan,
Joni Mitchell,
Michael Jackson,
Sammy Davis, Jr.,
Herb Alpert,
Quincy Jones,
Bobby Bland,
Dolly Parton,
Linda Ronstadt, and literally dozens of others. Although he recorded a number of LPs under his own name as early as 1968, he didn't land a major-label contract until 1978, when he signed with Warner Bros. and began a long stretch of releasing his own albums. Along the way he also expanded into film and television work, and picked up his first of four Grammy Awards for his work on the Hill Street Blues theme. With over 30 of his own albums and a regular touring schedule,
Carlton remains a well-respected, highly sought-after performer.
A native of Torrance, California,
Carlton began taking guitar lessons when he was six. His first professional gig was at a supper club in 1962. After hearing
Joe Pass on the radio, he was inspired to play jazz and blues.
Wes Montgomery and
Barney Kessel became important influences soon after he discovered the jazz guitar stylings of
Pass.
B.B. King and other blues guitarists had an impact on
Carlton's style as well. He honed his guitar-playing skills in the clubs and studios of greater Los Angeles while he attended a local junior college and Long Beach State College for a year until the Vietnam War ended.
Carlton toured with
the Fifth Dimension in 1968 and began doing studio sessions in 1970. His early session work included studio dates with pop musicians like
Vikki Carr,
Andy Williams, and
the Partridge Family.
In 1971, he was asked to join
the Crusaders shortly after they'd decided to drop the word "Jazz" from their name, and he remained with the group until 1976. In between tours with
the Crusaders, he also did studio session work for hundreds of recordings in every genre. But it was while he with
the Crusaders that he developed his signature, highly rhythmic, often bluesy style.
Carlton delivered his self-titled debut for Warner Bros. in 1978, shortly after he was recognized for his groundbreaking guitar playing on
Steely Dan's
Royal Scam album. (
Carlton contributed the memorable guitar solo on "Kid Charlemagne.'')
He released four more albums for Warner Bros.,
Strikes Twice (1980),
Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (1982), and the Grammy-nominated
Friends (1983), before parting ways with the label. Also during this period, he branched out into writing for TV and films, composing music for Against All Odds, Who's the Boss, and the theme for Hill Street Blues. The latter won a Grammy Award in 1981 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He continued studio session work and toured in between, emerging again in 1986 on
MCA Records with an all-acoustic album,
Discovery, which contained an instrumental remake of
Michael McDonald's hit "Minute by Minute." The single won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987.
Carlton's live album
Last Nite, released in 1987, got him a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.
While working on his next album for
MCA,
On Solid Ground,
Carlton was the victim of random gun violence, and was shot in the throat by gun-wielding juveniles outside Room 335, his private studio near Burbank, California. The bullet shattered his vocal cords and caused significant nerve trauma, but through intensive therapy and a positive frame of mind,
Carlton completed work on
On Solid Ground in 1989. He formed Helping Innocent People (HIP), a nonprofit group to aid victims of random gun violence.
Despite the tragedy foisted on him in the late '80s after he was shot, with a long period of hospitalization and rehabilitation,
Carlton continued his active recording and performing schedule over the next two decades, beginning with a number of albums during the '90s on the GRP label: 1992's
Kid Gloves; 1993's
Renegade Gentleman; 1995's
Larry & Lee (with
Lee Ritenour); and 1996's
The Gift.
Carlton also released the 1995 holiday collection
Christmas at My House on
MCA. And in 1997 he replaced
Lee Ritenour in the popular contemporary jazz outfit
Fourplay, first appearing on the group's
4 album in 1998.
The 2000s found
Carlton as active as ever, recording live and in the studio as both leader and collaborator for a variety of labels. Two albums on Warner Bros. began the decade,
Fingerprints -- including guest appearances by
Michael McDonald,
Vince Gill,
Kirk Whalum, and Vinnie Colaiuta -- in 2000, and
Deep Into It in 2001. A popular concert draw in Japan,
Carlton could be heard as a collaborator on two live recordings from that island country during the decade, Live in Osaka (with
Steve Lukather), issued in 2001 on the Favored Nations label, and
Live in Tokyo (with
Robben Ford) on 335 Records in 2007.
Meanwhile, his albums as a leader continued, with Sapphire Blue and
Fire Wire released by Bluebird/RCA in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and The Jazz King -- with
Carlton leading an all-star band performing music he composed on commission to celebrate the 80th birthday and ascension to the throne of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- issued by Sony BMG in 2008. In 2009
Carlton appeared as guest guitarist on selected dates during
Steely Dan's U.S. summer tour.
Take Your Pick (with
Tak Matsumoto) appeared in 2010.
In 2011, he paid homage to Philly soul pioneers
Kenny Gamble and
Leon Huff with
Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia. Also that year, he played on vocalist
Michele Pillar's holiday album I Hear Angels Calling.
Four Hands & a Heart, Vol. 1 appeared in 2012, followed by the holiday-themed
Four Hands & a Heart Christmas in 2014. Over the next several years,
Carlton remained busy touring, and he recorded with
Paul Brown,
Fourplay, and
the SWR Big Band. In 2018, he joined actor/comedian/musician
Harry Shearer on the
Derek Smalls album
Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing). ~ Richard Skelly