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CD Review: Larry Coryell's Spaces Revisited

If you've ever heard Sketches of Coryell then you may wonder if Spaces Revisited is just more of the same. I've got news for you. It's very different, and much better. Sketches of Coryell has that cookie cutter made-for-smooth-jazz-radio sound, as if it were produced by a record company executive.

If you take the drum programming and synthesized pop-bass sounds of Sketches and replace them with an older and wiser sounding Billy Cobham on drums, and fretless bass phenom Richard Bona, AND if you replace the slick jazz-pop arrangements with thoughtful Latin, swing, and funk grooves, then you start to understand the differences. Spaces Revisited, in spite of having no upright bass, piano, or sax, is about as real as it gets in the jazz world. Real jazz standards and originals played in a thoughtful way on real instruments. If there’s any criticism to be made, it would be that it seems almost thrown together, and that is true. The fact that the entire recording project took just 3 days (1 to rehearse and 2 to record) makes the CD looser, sure, but also fresher, more spontaneous. It worked!

Camerounian Richard Bona, bassist with the Zawinul Syndicate, does a great job on the Latin grooves with his fat fretless 5-string sound. He also does some great blues soloing on the fifth cut, "Blues for Django and Stephanie," and opens up "Morning of the Carnival" with a haunting bass intro. If that isn't enough string picking and pulling for you, Bireli Lagrene also plays a pivotal role on guitar. Coryell graciously shares the spotlight with the others making it a richly rewarding CD to listen to. They all three trade licks in a point, counterpoint type of dialogue on "Hong Kong Breeze," the second song, a graceful, slow bossa tune.

RATING: Excellent

Here’s how the songs break down:

1. The Dragon Gate Coryell
2. Hong Kong Breeze Coryell
3. Spaces Revisited Coryell
4. Variations on Good-bye Pork Pie Hat Mingus (performed in 9/8!)
5. Blues for Django and Stephanie Coryell
6. Morning of the Carnival Louis Bounfa
7. Oleo Rollins
8. Introduction to "Ruby" Coryell
9. Ruby My Dear Monk

Although son Julian seems to be getting a lot of publicity these days with his release of duality, I think the youngster can still learn a few tricks from his old Dad.

Other Coryell resources:

• Larry Coryell Web by Christian Staange
• Several Feature Articles (at Music Boulevard)

Thanks to The Mining Company for letting Houston Jazz borrow me for this and other occasional pieces. Please visit me at Modern Jazz at The Mining Company, my jazz site updated weekly with new Net Finds, a weekly feature, and resources such as Modern Jazz Bios, Interviews, and Discographies.

Blaine Fallis, Modern Jazz Guide at:

Check out track samples and other info for Spaces Revisited on Music Boulevard.