Larry Coryell's Blues Guitar

When I think of Texas blues guitar players I don't usually think of Larry Coryell even though he has been around for ages he walks on the jazz side more often than not.

Larry is one of those rare players whose parents were both concert pianists. Like Mozart and stuff!

I am never going to play guitar as well as Larry. I do know that T-Bone Walker and many more great guitar players are from Texas including Jimmy Vaughn, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughn and a passel more!! So maybe its the BBQ sauce? Or the jalapeño peppers. Whatever it is I approve.

Herein Larry professes to teach us a bit of of all styles of blues (but not delta open tunings) including T-Bone's style and technique. He uses the term loosely however. At the very end he calls it an excursion starting from the blues. Its an hour or so long in total. And it enters jazz territory in a big way about 40 minutes through.

For me Its tough going from this point on not because I don't want to learn the turnarounds but because its a show case for his 3 part jazz DVD guitar learning method of which I have number one of. I have to admit that one has the best pamphlet I have ever seen! You get a pamphlet here too but are going to have to work a little to get the gist of the fingerings. Unless of course you are already familiar with them. Funny that!

Many greats like horn player extrodinaire Miles Davis agree that jazz comes out of the blues or that's "its all  blues." So for those of you unfamiliar with Larry he is without question a jazz guitar player but he likes rock and blues too and he throws that in when he is in the mood. A good thing too!

Its an educational experience to see that done well. And to tell you the truth, if you stick with it, there are gonna be times, later, much later, that moody moment perhaps, when you want to play more soulfully than aggressively. Or at least have the option.

Larry Coryell Page II