LARRY CORYELL — Barefoot Boy (1971-2000) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Produced by Bob Thiele and recorded at Electric Lady studios with engineer Eddie Kramer, Barefoot Boy is one of Larry Coryell's finest recordings as a leader. "Gypsy Queen" was recorded prior to bassist Mervin Bronson's arrival at the studio, and features the percussion section locking into a groove over which Coryell lays down a riff and Steve Marcus cuts loose with a fiery soprano sax solo. When it's his turn to solo on this opening number, Coryell turns up the heat, sounding like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Sonny Sharrock. (Coryell played with Sharrock on Herbie Mann's Memphis Underground.) "The Great Escape" finds Coryell cooking over a bass and percussion groove, with Marcus on tenor sax. "Call to the Higher Consciousness" is a side-long 20-minute jam in which all the players take a ride, with Marcus once again cooking on the soprano sax. Roy Haynes is superb throughout, working in tandem with the percussionists to keep the music moving. This recording is a noteworthy example of the possibilities inherent in the early days of fusion, blending the electrifying energy of rock with the improvisational excitement of jazz.  Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1    Gypsy Queen 11:50
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Roy Haynes
Guitar – Larry Coryell
Percussion – Harry Wilkinson
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Marcus
Written-By – Gabor Szabo
2    The Great Escape 8:39
Bass – Mervin Bronson
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Roy Haynes
Guitar – Larry Coryell
Percussion – Harry Wilkinson
Soprano Saxophone – Steve Marcus
Written-By – Coryell
3    Call To The Higher Consciousness 20:00
Bass – Mervin Bronson
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Roy Haynes
Guitar – Larry Coryell
Percussion – Harry Wilkinson
Piano – Mike Mandel
Tenor Saxophone – Steve Marcus
Written-By – Coryell

ALPHONSE MOUZON — Funky Snakefoot (1973-2006) RM | BNLA Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although Alphonse Mouzon is celebrated largely for his drumming skills, the brilliant Funky Snakefoot is first and foremost a showcase for his keyboard prowess. Galvanized by its thick, greasy Arp, Moog, and organ solos, the album recalls Blue Note contemporaries like Gene Harris, albeit augmented by Mouzon's monster rhythms. Add his ragged-but-right vocals to the mix and Funky Snakefoot veers closer to mainstream R&B than virtually anything else the label ever released, but there's no denying the ferocity or virtuosity of this music. Mouzon's remarkable interplay with fellow keyboardists Harry Whitaker and Leon Pendarvis boasts a harmonic complexity that belongs solely to jazz, and the sheer vitality of cuts like "You Don't Know How Much I Love You" and "Where I'm Drumming From" is undeniable. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    I've Given You My Love    4:43
2    You Don't Know How Much I Love You    4:40
3    I Gotta Have You    2:46
4    My Life Is So Blue    4:37
5    Funky Snakefoot    3:45
6    My Little Rosebud    2:02
7    A Permanent Love    4:20
8    The Beggar    4:35
9    Oh Yes I Do    4:35
10    Tara, Tara    3:35
11    Where I'm Drumming From    1:20
12    Ism    3:08
Credits :
Bass – Gary King (tracks: 1 to 7, 9, 12)
Clavinet – Harry Whitaker (tracks: 3, 5, 10)
Congas, Bongos – Ray Armando (tracks: 1, 2, 7)
Drums – Alphonze Mouzon
Electric Piano – Leon Pendarvis (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8)
Electric Piano, Programmed By [Synthesizer] – Mike Mandel (tracks: 3, 12)
Guitar – Richie Resnicoff (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9)
Organ – Alphonze Mouzon (tracks: 9), Leon Pendarvis (tracks: 9, 10)
Pedal Steel Guitar, Banjo – Mark Harowitz (tracks: 6)
Percussion – Angel Allende (tracks: 1), Steve Berrios (tracks: 1)
Piano – Harry Whitaker (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 9), Leon Pendarvis (tracks: 3, 5)
Piano [Tack] – Alphonze Mouzon (tracks: 1)
Saxophone – Andy Gadsden (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Synthesizer – Alphonze Mouzon (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 to 10)
Trombone – Barry Rogers (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Trumpet – Randy Brecker (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 9, 12)
Vocals – Alphonze Mouzon (tracks: 2 to 4, 7 to 10)

LARRY CORYELL — Offering (1972-2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1972, guitarist Larry Coryell's Offering has often been overlooked because it was the album that was released just before the debut of his legendary fusion band the Eleventh House. It's too bad, too, since Coryell's playing here is so inspired and free of the intellectual trappings of some of his later work. The band on Offering is a crack jazz-rock outfit made up of drummer Harry Wilkinson, bassist Melvyn Bronson, soprano saxophonist Steve Marcus, and electric pianist Mike Mandel (also a founding member of the Eleventh House). The vibe on this set is akin to the rugged jazz-rock forging of Soft Machine beginning on Fourth. And while it's tempting to lump this set in with the rest of the fused-out fare of the time, Offering is a distinctly -- and consciously -- more melodic record than those issued by Coryell's contemporaries at the time. Compositions such as "Foreplay," with its loping soprano and keyboard lines, stand apart from most of the Miles Davis-inspired crowd (Hancock, Corea, et. al), and "Ruminations" with its knotty, striated bop lines, comes on strong from the middle of three entwining harmonic figures to reach out and create a melodic framer from the pathos; Coryell's solo, which is equal parts Jimi Hendrix and Sonny Sharrock, is a wonderfully scorching and elusive sprite. Beginning with "Scotland I," which closes out side one, the jams get a bit more abstract and a bit more involved with the primacy of improvisation without losing their lyrical sensibilities. Offering is, in its own way, every bit as strong as the Eleventh House's debut and deserves to be considered hand in hand with it.
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Tracklist
1. Foreplay (8:10)
2. Ruminations (4:17)
3. Scotland I (6:41)
4. Offering (6:46)
5. The Meditation Of November 8th (5:12)
6. Beggar`s Chant (8:03)
Total time 39:09
Credits
Larry Coryell - Guitar
Mike Mandel - Electric Piano with Fuzz-Wah
Steve Marcus - Soprano Saxophone
Mervin Bronson - Bass
Harry Wilkinson - Drums

THE ELEVENTH HOUSE - Introducing The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell (1974-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Eleventh House during 1972-1975 was one of the stronger working groups in fusion, led by one of the unsung heroes of the idiom, guitarist Larry Coryell. This CD reissue brings back The Eleventh House's first recording and, in addition to Coryell's guitar, most heavily featured are trumpeter Randy Brecker (who would later be replaced by Mike Lawrence) and keyboardist Mike Mandel; bassist Danny Trifan and drummer Alphonse Mouzon are strong in backup roles. The influence of Miles Davis, Weather Report, and Herbie Hancock is apparent, but The Eleventh House also offered a sound of their own. Brecker's solos are often both fiery and lyrical (although his use of an occasional electric wah-wah device is less interesting). Coryell and Mandel blend together quite well, and the original grooves on this set often have distinctive personalities. Pity that the reissue does not have any liner notes, otherwise it is easily recommended to fans of early fusion. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1. Birdfingers ( 3:07 ) 

2. The Funky Waltz ( 5:10 )

3. Low Lee Tah ( 4:17 )

4. Adam Smasher ( 4:30 ) 

5. Joy Ride ( 6:08 ) 

6. Yin ( 6:03 ) 

7. Theme For A Dream ( 3:26 )

8. Gratitude ( 3:21 )

9. Ism-ejercicio ( 3:59 )

10. Right On Yàll ( 4:21 )

Total Time : 44:47

Musicians

Randy Brecker – horn, trumpet

Larry Coryell – guitar

Mike Mandel – piano, synthesizer

Alphonse Mouzon – drums, percussion

Danny Trifan – bass

THE ELEVENTH HOUSE ft. LARRY CORYELL - Level One (1975-2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This was the follow-up to the legendary Introducing the Eleventh House recording. While it never achieved the classic status of its predecessor, it is an excellent follow-up that captures the band at their creative and technical peak. From the whimsical "Diedra" to the intense "Nyctophobia," Coryell leads his group with an understated refrain. He has always been at his best when acting as an equal within a group's space rather than as the centerpiece. His one indulgence here is the pretty, acoustic guitar solo "Eyes of Love." Of particular interest on this recording is the ferocious drumming of Alponse Mouzon, who displays a style of speed and power that rivals that of Billy Cobham. This is a forgotten gem from the fusion era. by Robert Taylor

Tracklist:

1 Level One 3:04

Twelve-String Guitar – Steve Khan

Written-By – Mike Mandel

2 The Other Side  4:37

Written-By – Michael Lawrence 

3 Diedra 3:59

Written-By – Mike Mandel

4 Some Greasy Stuff 3:31

Written-By – Alphonze Mouzon 

5 Nyctaphobia 4:06

Written-By – Alphonze Mouzon 

Suite (5:32)

Written-By – Larry Coryell

6a Entrance

6b Repose

6c Exit

7 Eyes Of Love 2:27

Written-By – Larry Coryell

8 Struttin' With Sunshine 3:26

Written-By – Larry Coryell

9 That's The Joint 4:04

Written-By – John Lee 

Credits:.

Bass Guitar – John Lee 

Guitar – Larry Coryell

Keyboards – Mike Mandel

Percussion – Alphonse Mouzon

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Michael Lawrence