Jazz Reviews : Rock Lover Larry Coryell Explores Vagaries of Jazz

Through his early work with drummer Chico Hamilton, jazz-rock group Free Spirits and vibist Gary Burton, Texas-born guitarist Larry Coryell emerged as one of the most original improvisers in jazz during the 1960s and ‘70s.

At the Catalina Bar and Grill on Tuesday night, Coryell, who has consistently been at odds with the predictable during his eclectic career, offered a distortion-free set of standards that verily swung from note one.

“The intimacy of the club demands standards,” the 46-year-old guitarist said after his opening set. “I mean, you can’t play rock ‘n’ roll in here.”

Though smiling at the observation by his son, Julian, that he “got pretty raunchy” during a closing blues, Coryell nonetheless seemed pleased with having spent the previous hour exploring the vagaries of jazz--that music closest to his rock-loving soul.

Admiring as he might be of Jimi Hendrix’s artistry and Eric Clapton’s musicality, Coryell found sufficient expression in the tradition of John Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice,” an opening number that fairly bristled with boppish excitement. A unique blend of strummed chords and plucked lines showed Coryell to be a player of virtuosic technique with a deep sense of melodic invention.

That same musicality was evident in “All the Things You Are” and the bop classic “Just Friends.” In both cases, bassist Brian Torff and drummer Cindy Blackman lent substantiative rhythmic support, with Torff offering splendid solo outings on his Banchetti electric bass.

Pianist Stanley Cowell had ample solo opportunities and showed himself to be a marvelously supportive player throughout the opening set. As a composer, his “Equipoise” was a beautiful offering that evolved neatly from its ballad beginnings to a Latin-tinged cooker.

Coryell’s solo offering of the evening was an enthusiastic reading of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” In it, the guitarist, who works the Hollywood nightery through Sunday, displayed the multiple musical influences--jazz, rock, Latin--that have created his unique musical identity.