Happy Birthday Larry Carlton
March 2, 1948
A birthday tribute to the studio and session guitarist
Guitarist Larry Carlton was born on March 2, 1948 in Torrance, California.
He began playing guitar when he was six and started playing professionally in 1962 when he was 14.
Always a very versatile guitarist, Carlton recorded his first record as a leader in 1968, toured with the Fifth Dimension, and became a busy studio musician in 1970, appearing on over 3,000 studio sessions by the early 1980s.
He was a member of the Crusaders during 1971-76, an excellent outlet for his blues-oriented style.
Carlton has led many albums of his own which have ranged from blues and hard bop to pop-jazz and melodic smooth projects, making him a popular attraction.
He survived a robbery attempt in 1988, recovering from a gunshot wound within a year and continuing his busy life which included being a member of Fourplay during 1997-2010.
Larry Carlton is featured performing “Minute By Minute” at Jazz A Vienne in 2012.
-Scott Yanow
Stan Getz