Regardless of context, guitarist Larry Carlton has built a
reputation as one of the tastiest guitarists around, whether
he's supporting singer/songwriter Joni
Mitchell, jazz/pop hybrid Steely
Dan or soulful jazz/funksters The Crusaders. His own
records, while always accessible - at times, crossing the line
into smooth jazz territory - demonstrate a distinctive blend
of sweet and gritty tone, bluesy soulfulness, and plenty of
jazz chops, often surfacing in the most unexpected places. Live
in Tokyo With Special Guest Robben Ford (335
Records, 2009), was harder-hitting than usual, suggesting that
though Carlton (and Ford) chooses easier-on-the-ears contexts,
he never sacrifices the core qualities that make him worth
scoping out.
Plays the Sound of Philadelphia is
Carlton's homage to the songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and
Leon Huff, who were responsible for a seemingly endless string
of soul/R&B hits in the 1960s and '70s. The songwriting/production duo, responsible for massive hits by artists including The O'Jays ("Backstabber"), Jerry Butler ("Only
the Strong Survive"), Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ("If
You Don't Know Me By Now") and Joe Simon ("Drownin'
in the Sea of Love"),
built a sound that, ultimately, became directly associated
with the town they called home.
Rather than taking these iconic songs and stretching them out
for extended soloing, Carlton keeps them short - radio-friendly,
and single-length, just as they were back in the day. A couple
of background vocalists deliver familiar choruses throughout
as a backdrop for Carlton's ever-perfect tonal and melodic
choices, and Bill Labounty sings lead on a couple tunes, including
the bright "Drowning
in the Sea of Love" and anthemic "Only
the Strong Survive," these
reverent arrangements never stretching far from their original
sources. Six horns drives a five-piece rhythm section that
includes, along with pianist/arranger Tony
DeSare, Late Show
with David Letterman stalwart, Paul Shaffer,
on organ.
But, at the end of the day, with a collection of songs near-Jungian
in their familiarity, and terrific charts from DeSare and trumpeter
Steve Guttman, it's Carlton's visceral tone
and ability to get to the heart of each song in an unfailingly
personal way that make this 11-song set, at just under forty
minutes, a thoroughly appealing look back, for those who miss
the days when The Sound of Philadelphia ruled the airwaves.
All the while, Carlton's broader harmonic knowledge bolsters
his chordal work on "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" - his
warm, clean tone and octave-style playing clearly referencing
Wes Montgomery - while at the end of the more up-tempo "Back
Stabber," Carlton
combines bluesy bends with the barest hint of bebop sensibility.
And that's the beauty of Plays The Sound of Philadelphia, which
also comes with a bonus "Making of" DVD. As much as this fits
more in the adult contemporary category than jazz, Carlton
peppers the session with plenty of markers that make clear
his jazz roots remain an undercurrent beneath everything to
which he sets his mind. It may not be edgy or forward-thinking,
but it grooves to its sources with plenty of booty-shaking
soul, all the while providing the ever-tasteful Carlton with
plenty of room to deliver. And deliver he does, from start
to finish.
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