Nineteen-time Grammy nominee, three-time Grammy winner and all-time guitar great, Larry Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with the multi platinum jazz super group Fourplay. With 30 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades.

In 2011 Larry Carlton will receive the George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Wave Awards 0n April 29th. Larry's last album Take your Pick has been nominated for "Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards"! 
Additionally Larry received a Lifetime Achievement Award  from Guitar Player magazine and was presented the "Titan of Tone" award from Premier Guitar Magazine at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This amazing collaboration between legendary guitarist Larry Carlton and Japanese rock icon, Tak Matsumoto has truly proven to be a record for the ages. To kick things off, the 2010 “Take Your Pick” tour" sold out 18 shows in 20 minutes all throughout Japan, ending in a spectacular headlining performance at the world famous Tokyo Jazz Festival.

Fresh on the heels of a Grammy Award win for his collaboration with Tak Matsumoto, Take Your Pick, Larry Carlton doesn’t hesitate to answer why he chose to participate in a tribute album to the Sound of Philadelphia. Carlton’s new album, Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia (335 Records) features the guitarist applying his distinctive string-bending to a set of material from the songbooks of Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell, who wrote a succession of hits for The Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The O’Jays and many other soul and R&B legends.


Larry Carlton's own musical story began in Southern California.
He picked up his first guitar when he was only six years old.
He was introduced to jazz in junior high school after hearing The Gerald Wilson Big Band album, Moment of Truth, with guitarist Joe Pass.
Larry then became interested in Barney Kessel, Wes Montgornery and the legendary blues guitarist B.B. King. Saxophonist John Coltrane was also a major influence on Carlton, beginning with Coltrane's 1962 classic Ballads.


In 1968 he recorded his first LP, With A Little Help From My Friends (Uni).
The enthusiastic industry response garnered him a place among jingle singers The Going Thingr recording on camera and radio commercials for Ford.
Mid-season in his second year, he segued to Musical Director for Mrs. Alphabet, an Emmy-nominated children's show on the same network. It was here that Carlton showcased his acting skills, performing as the show's co-star, "Larry Guitar."

Calls began to increase significantly as Carlton gained distinction for the unmistakable and often imitated "sweet" sound he delivered with his Gibson ES-335.
He also broke new ground with his new trademark volume pedal technique, eloquently displayed in his featured performance on Crusader One with legendary jazz/rock group The Crusaders in 1971. Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark album, the first record she made with a rhythm section, displays his distinctive Technique - a style Mitchell referred to as "fly fishing."

During his tenure with The Crusaders (through 1976), Carlton performed on 13 of their albums, often contributing material.
In 1973, Carlton released his second solo project, Playing/Singing, on Blue Thumb Records aptly titled, as he not only played guitar, but also performed vocals on eight tracks.
Carlton's demand as a session player was now at its zenith, he was constantly featured with stars from every imaginable genre, ranging from Sammy Davis, Jr., and Herb Alpert to Quincy Jones, Paul Anka, Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia and Dolly Parton. At the same time, he was still performing more than 50 dates a year with The Crusaders.
Before he transitioned completely to a solo career, Carlton became one of the most in-demand studio musicians of the past three decades. Carlton's catalog of work includes film soundtracks, television themes and work on more than 100 gold albums.

Ultimately, Carlton began scaling back his session work substantially, while continuing to perform and record with the Crusaders. He shifted his emphasis to the challenges of arranging and producing, and built his own studio Room 335 in his home. During this period he arranged and produced projects for Barbra Streisand, Joan Baez and Larry Gatlin, as well as producing and co-writing the theme for the hit sitcom Who's The Boss and co-writing (with Michel Columbier) and arranging the acclaimed movie soundtrack for Against All Odds.

As his association with the Crusaders began to draw to a close, Carlton signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1977. Between '78 and '84, Larry recorded six solo albums for Warner Bros Records: Mr. 335, Live In Japan, Friends, Eight Times Up, Sleep Walk, Strikes Twice, Larry Carlton. The latter self-titled album was released hot on the heels of his debut session with rock supergroup Steely Dan.
Rolling Stone magazine lists Carlton's tasty ascent on Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne as one of the three best guitar licks in rock music.

With more than 3000 studio sessions under his belt by the early 1980s, Carlton had picked up four Grammy nominations. In addition to winning a Grammy (`81) for the theme to "Hill Street Blues" (a collaboration with Mike Post), he also was voted NARAS's "Most Valuable Player" for three consecutive years. NARAS then named him "Player Emeritus" and retired him from eligibility.

In 1985 he was approached by the newly formed MCA Master Series to consider doing an acoustic jazz album.
His first release for the new label was Alone, But Never Alone, a consensus No. 1 album on the Radio & Records and Billboard Jazz charts.
The twelve months of 1987 brought some of the biggest highlights in Carlton's solo career.
In addition to winning the Grammy for "Minute by Minute," Carlton received a Grammy nomination for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" for his live album Last Nite. Coming off of the success of two acoustic albums and one live album, Carlton was on a hot streak and entered the studio to work on his next project, On Solid Ground. The all-electric project was nominated for a Grammy in 1989. The release of On Solid Ground came almost one year after Carlton was brutally shot in a random act of violence outside his Los Angeles studio.

In 1990, MCA acquired GRP Records and placed their jazz artists under the GRP moniker. Immediately, GRP issued a greatest hits package of Carlton’s work on MCA, called Collection. In 1991, Carlton entered the studio to record a blues-based album with John Ferraro, keyboard man Matt Rollings, bassist Michael Rhodes and harmonica player Terry McMillan.
Interrupted by label and consumer demands for another jazz offering, Carlton temporarily shelved what would become Renegade Gentlemen and recorded and released Kid Gloves in '92. A pop-oriented Jazz collection of lilting acoustic ballads and biting electric workouts, the album marked the first time Carlton had included both acoustic and electric tracks on a single solo project.

In between touring, Carlton resumed work on the bluesy Renegade Gentlemen.
Taking the original six tracks to Nashville (his first time to record in that city), and joining up once again with Michael Rhodes and Terry McMillan, plus drummer Chris Layton (from Stevie Vaughan's band Double Trouble) and keyboard wizard Chuck Leavell, he recorded four tracks, plus did additional production and mixing on the blues rocker in time for a '93 release.

Carlton toured extensively that year and the next with jazz superband Stanley Clark And Friends (Stanley Clark, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Deron Johnson and Najee).
The quintet released Stanley Clark and Friends Live A t The Greek in '94.

Larry & Lee, Carlton's 1995 collaboration with guitar great Lee Ritenour, garnered him his eighth Grammy nomination. This was followed by The Gift in '96 and Larry Carlton Collection Volume 2 in '97.
That same year, his virtuosity and reputation secured him a place in the crum­topping award-winning Warner Bros.
Records' group Fourplay, when member Lee Ritenour left to head his own label. Carlton doubled the fun by signing to Wamer Jazz as a solo artist at the same time. Since then he has released two albums with Fourplay: 4 in '98 and a refreshingly different Christmas album, Snowbound, in October '99.
1999 also brought Larry Carlton his very own spot on Hollywood's prestigious Rockwalk.
On June 3, he was inducted along with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Jimmie Vaughn.

The year 2000 starts with Carlton putting his singularly superb fingerprints on the new millennium with his star-studded solo release on Wamer Bros. Records, Fingerprints following by No Substitution (2001), Deep into it (2001), Shappire Blue (2003) and Fire Wire (2006).

In 2007 Larry and Robben Ford started the US leg of a tour that began in Korea and toured through Australia and Europe to support of their album “Larry Carlton with Special Guest Robben Ford, Live in Tokyo”.
Carlton and Ford first met in the early 70s while Ford was touring with Joni Mitchell. From there they began playing in small jazz clubs in North Hollywood, California. Since then the two have been following each other careers and have remain close friends. When asked why they did the album Carlton says, “Over the years people kept asking when Robben (Ford) and I were going to make a record. So we finally did it.” The album was release under Carlton’s label, 335 Records.

In 2008 he released Re-Recorded that started a new venture for him as it was released under his own record label, 335 Records. Carlton's decision to release the album he says, "It came from a place of gratitude- for my career and loyal fans. I thought it would be fun to bring new life and spirit into these, now classic songs."
The "Re-Recorded Tour" provided the fans the chance to hear favorites such as “All in Good Time and “Hello Tomorrow” and fall in love with them all over again.

In 2011 Larry Carlton will receive the George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Wave Awards 0n April 29th. Larry's last album Take your Pick has been nominated for "Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards"! 
Additionally Larry received a Lifetime Achievement Award  from Guitar Player magazine and was presented the "Titan of Tone" award from Premier Guitar Magazine at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This amazing collaboration between legendary guitarist Larry Carlton and Japanese rock icon, Tak Matsumoto has truly proven to be a record for the ages. To kick things off, the 2010 “Take Your Pick” tour sold out 18 shows in 20 minutes all throughout Japan, ending in a spectacular headlining performance at the world famous Tokyo Jazz Festival. This unique sound of jazz mixed with hints of rock and fusion caused the album to debut at #2 on the Japanese pop rock charts which marks the first time an instrumental record has done so in 35 years. As the record continues to climb the US jazz charts, Larry and Tak continue to showcase their superior musicianship all throughout the world.

Carlton's melodic yet aggressive approach to writing and playing on this CD blended with Tak's proven ability to write and perform Hit songs make for a unique Guitar experience. Drawing upon their knowledge and different music backgrounds Larry & Tak have forged Eastern and Western guitar styles to create a truly magical and unique album unlike any other. The best of East and West!

Fresh on the heels of a Grammy award win for his collaboration with Tak Matsumoto, Take Your Pick, Larry Carlton doesn’t hesitate to answer why he chose to participate in a tribute album to the Sound of Philadelphia. “Every song was a great pop song,” says the guitarist. “Every song was a hit.” Carlton’s new album, Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia (335 Records) features the guitarist applying his distinctive string-bending to a set of material from the songbooks of Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell, who wrote a succession of hits for The Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The O’Jays and many other soul and R&B legends.

Utterly unique, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades (and two centuries) and he is undoubtedly destined to leave his mark on jazz, blues, pop and rock for the foreseeable future...

Official Website: www.larrycarlton.com

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Line-up:
Larry CARLTON - Guitar, Voice
Gene COYE - Drums
Travis CARLTON - Bass


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