When Larry Coryell died suddenly of heart failure in February 2017 at the age of 73, it seemed that this jazz guitar giant still had so much to offer. Months before his passing he convened in a studio in Ireland a trio setting to knock out some tunes that in spring 2021 finally saw release as Last Swing With Ireland. It would be the final time this jazz guitar legend would lay down some tracks over fifty year-plus recording career.
There are only six songs, all performed by a simple, small combo of Coryell, drummer Kevin Brady and bassist Dave Redmond (Coryell’s favorite rhythm section from Ireland). But don’t let that fool you into thinking this was a tossed-off session: there’s a mixture of standards with originals, electric with acoustic guitars, and straight-ahead jazz with the genre Coryell helped to invent, fusion jazz. In these forty-six minutes, you’re getting a whole lot of what was great about Larry Coryell.
Coryell adapts Miles Davis’ famous arrangement of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” including the tentative one-note bass intro where the guitarist is able to insert his own little expressions. Then he jumps in and bathes himself in the melody using advanced bop language with that trademark little sting in his tone as Redmond’s firm, walking bass makes nothing else necessary to make this a full rendering of the song.
Coryell’s bebops like a boss all throughout the Charlie Parker stalwart “Relaxin’ At The Camarillo.” He switches to bossa nova — and acoustic guitar — for “Morning Of The Carnival,” a song he uses to indulge his considerable classical background and letting loose inspired licks not heard from any other guitarist. “In A Sentimental Mood” is also presented on acoustic guitar, nice and slow with judicious use of chimes and octaves as Brady softens up the pulse with brushes. Coryell ends it by himself with some original fingerpicking.
“The Last Peavey” is a blues-based number and it’s easy to tell this is the same guy blazing rock-jazz trails with the Free Spirits, Gary Burton and Eleventh House, displaying no loss of firepower even this close to the end of his life. He can be heard letting out joyful yells between licks and even quoting George Harrison’s riff from the Beatles’ “I Want To Tell You.” Redmond and Brady are propulsive in support, highlighted by the latter’s take-no-names drum fills.
“396” is also in a blues-rock vein but smolders instead of flames. The guitarist’s soloing is tastefully imbued with flavors from both the rock and jazz schools. Brady and then Redmond — going back to acoustic bass after manning an electric bass on “Peavey” — both get features where they acquit themselves well.
Larry Coryell most likely didn’t know that he wouldn’t do another recording date when he made Last Swing With Ireland but he left it all in the studio, anyway.
Last Swing With Ireland is now available, through UK-based Angel Air Records.
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