Customer Reviews

Air Dancing

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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this is one of my favorite from my 500 plus collection of cd's. a live recording which features buster willams(bass),stanley cowell(piano)and billy hart(drums).coryell in top form with his blistering solos particularly in the opening track PRAYER FOR PEACE,my favorite track though is the title track AIR DANCING which started out with a slow acro bass solo from williams and slowly join in by hart and coryell showcasing stunning interplay and improvisation.all 7 tracks is a knock down,a MUST not only for coryell fans but for all guitar music lovers.

This album is sublime. But particularly because of the song Air Dancing, written by the great bassist (also playing on this cd) Buster Williams. An especially beautiful composition, on which Larry has quite a solo. Very beautiful production, accompanied by the not-so-well-known-but-amazing Billy Hart on drums. A worthwhile album, mainly subdued, and on the 'easy' side of jazz.

First of all, this was recorded live, and from the sound of it, I'd guess in a small club. There's a very intimate (as if one is sitting just a few feet away from the stage) feel to it. At least, on my system, that's how I hear it. Coryell's playing here displays somewhat of a rock/blues flavor in places, but it's controlled and tasteful. The band is tight and Larry plays with great intensity and focus. I'm not a fan of his fusion work-- the electric keyboards, trumpets run through wah-wah pedals, etc, sound unlistenably-dated to me. I actually prefer the stright-ahead stuff he's done. Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by this. It's become one of my favorites by him, along with Inner Urge, Tricycles and Shining Hour.

I finally found "Air Dancing" available online and picked it up. It was an excellent purchase. The music comes from 1988, a period when Coryell had moved past the more aggressive fusion the the late 1960s and 1970s and was concentrating on either straight ahead jazz in the Kenny Burrell / Wes Montgomery / Grant Green mode, or concentrating on acoustic guitar and sometimes dabbling in covering classical pieces.

Surprisingly, this album, while boasting a 'classic' jazz quartet, still retains some of the aggressive tone and feel of fusion. The songs tend to be long, with plenty of solos. Coryell uses a more treble tone on this album than on other albums of the period. And the solos are faster and more furious. Still, this is not really fusion, keeping closer to straight ahead in both structure and song choices.

To remind us that we are in the 1980s, Larry covers a Gershwin tune on solo acoustic guitar, which helps break up the album. If you are a fan of Larry Coryell, this is an excellent addition. If you want to try out this vastly underrated guitar maestro, this is an excellent starting point, as you get a taste of fusion, straight ahead, and solo acoustic all in one package.