Search - Larry Carlton :: Fingerprints

Perfect smooth jazz

kevin manns | 05/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We all know Larry Carlton can play anything in any style. That's what studio guitarists do and Larry is one of the best ever. That said, as smooth jazz goes, I don't forsee how anybody could create a better album. The title track alone is worth the purchase price; the song, especially the guitar playing, is just so darn MUSICAL!. My album doesn't have Marium's whatever on the third track, rather it has The Storyteller, which is also excellent. No this is not Kid Charlemagne, but it is smooth jazz guitar like nobody else can play it. And in that respect, Larry has outdone himself again."

One for toe-dippers, perhaps?

Olukayode Balogun | Leeds, England | 05/27/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was playing this over the bank holiday weekend and found myself really enjoying it. I picked it up in a second-hand music store while visiting a friend in Chicago back in 2000 and to be honest, though I knew of Carlton and his skills as a jazz guitarist and had quite a number of his CDs as a solo artiste, as a member of The Crusaders and as a member of Fourplay, I was actually drawn to pick it up (without even giving it a listen) by the beautifully psychedelic artistry on the front cover.



In the beginning, only two tracks interested me: the southern-flavoured "Lazy Susan" and the brilliant and appropriately titled closing ballad "Crying Hands" (with sensitive keyboard contributions by Matt Rollings and Rick Jackson). I could play these two repeatedly all day and all night. But as time went on and the more I listened, the more I began to like other tracks. Songs like "'Til I Hurt You", which features the vocals of Michael MacDonald (who is always good for the ears as far as I'm concerned); "Gracias", an acoustic guitar duet with Vince Gill; the funky bass line-driven "Silky Smooth", featuring saxophone by Steve Cole; "The Storyteller" (another acoustic guitar track); and the snazzy, swirly, slow-jam number, "Chicks With Kickstands", which features an interesting saxophone performance from smooth jazz maestro, Kirk Whalum. Some of the tracks on the album (6/10) are produced by Carlton himself, with a few (4/10) produced by Paul Brown and though I tend to avoid stuff he's involved with like the plague, he doesn't do too badly here.



Jazz sophisticates like my good friend André probably wouldn't touch this with a bargepole (Ha! I'm ahead of you this time, buddy!) and while one or two of the songs are entirely skippable, it's actually very good in places. It's nice cool jazz, just brushing against the borders of smooth and for people who don't want anything too taxing or perhaps, (while not meaning to sound patronising), for people thinking of dipping their toe into jazz guitar for the first time, I think this would be ideal. Fans of folk like George Benson, Lee Ritenour or Peter White might also like it.



For me, while it's not Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Nguyên Lê or even Mike Stern, I still find it enjoyable listening. I'd recommend it unhesitatingly."