Larry Coryell will always be best known for arguably being the first fusion guitarist, but his career has been quite wide-ranging ever since the late '60s. On
Shining Hour , he mostly sticks to jazz standards other than his own "Floyd Gets a Gig" and
Brian Torff's "Apathy Rains." Several of the selections are identified with
Miles Davis including "Nefertiti" and "The Sorcerer" but there are also hard swinging versions of "All the Things You Are" and "My Shining Hour."
Coryell, whose playing works well in this (for him) rare setting although he is not really a boppish improviser, interacts with pianist
Kenny Barron (who sometimes takes solo honors), bassist
Buster Williams and drummer
Marvin "Smitty" Smith. [This is the Muse edition of the album; Savoy Jazz reissued it on CD in 2003.]. ~ Scott Yanow