Larry Carlton, guitarist and composer from Los Angeles, was faced with a decision a few years ago. He had to decide whether he wanted to be a solo artist and make a name for his self or continue as a session guitar player, making good money, and recording with well-known musicians. Fans of the eclectic guitarist were fortunate to hear that he chose the latter and has been recording under his own name since 1978 for Warner Bros., MCA Records, and GRP Records. Carlton has recorded studio tracks from the 1970s through early ’80s with musicians such as Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Bland and Dolly Parton. His most notable sessions as a guitarist included Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark and Hejira albums and Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam and Nightfly albums. During the 1970s, Carlton recorded on as many as 500 albums a season. He recorded a few LPs under his name, including 1968’s With a Little Help from My Friends Uni and 1973’s Song/Playing. However, he did not land a major label contract until 1978 when he signed with Warner Bros. Carlton started taking guitar lessons at the age of six. In 1962, he was hired at a supperclub. He was inspired to learn jazz and blues after hearing Joe Pass play on the radio. After passing on the jazz guitar style of Pass, Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel were important influences. B.B. Carlton was influenced by King and other blues guitar players. He learned to play the guitar in Los Angeles’ clubs and studios. He was a student at Long Beach State College and a local junior college until the end of the Vietnam War. Carlton toured in 1968 with the Fifth Dimension and started doing studio sessions in 1970. His first session work consisted of studio dates with pop artists like Vicki Carr and Andy Williams. He was invited to join the Crusaders in 1971 after the group dropped the “Jazz” from their names. He remained with them until 1976. He also worked in studio sessions for hundreds of recordings across every genre, between Crusaders tours. He developed his rhythmic, sometimes bluesy style while performing with the Crusaders. He has been featured on over 100 gold albums. His credits as theme music for TV and film include Against All Odds and Who’s the Boss. He also wrote the Hill Street Blues theme. In 1981, the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was given to this song. Carlton’s self-titled debut was released by Warner Bros. in 1978. This was shortly after he had been recognized for his groundbreaking guitar playing on Steely Dan’s Royal Scam album. (Carlton was the guitarist on “Kid Charlemagne .”)” After releasing four albums more for Warner Bros., he was dropped from the label. These were “Kid Charlemagne” (1980), Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (82), and “Friends” (1983), which were all nominated for Grammys. He continued his studio sessions and touring, but he returned to MCA Records in 1986 with Discovery, an all-acoustic album. It featured an instrumental remake Michael McDonald’s “Minute by minute.” In 1987, the single was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Carlton’s 1987 live album, Last Nite, earned him a Grammy nomination as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Carlton was working on On Solid Ground, his next album for MCA. He was attacked by gun-wielding youths outside his studio in Burbank, California. Despite severe therapy and a positive outlook, the bullet caused serious nerve trauma and shattered his vocal chord. Carlton finished On Solid Ground in 1989. Carlton founded Helping Innocent People (HIP), a nonprofit group that aids victims of random gun violence. Two albums by Carlton, Gift and With a Little Help from My Friends, were released in 1996 for GRP Records. Other recordings include 1990’s Collection, 1992’s Kid Gloves, and Renegade Gentleman for GRP Records, both released in 1993. Despite the terrible tragedy that struck him in the late 80s, which saw him spend a long, difficult period of rehabilitation and hospitalization, Carlton’s output has remained steady throughout the 1980s through the 1990s. Carlton appears to have slowed down his touring, but not his recording schedule. Carlton is always happy to meet the media and has a calm, sweet personality. One can feel it in his rhythmic, warm, and ringing tones as well as his guitar chords. Text contributed by users is available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
