Larry Coryell dead at 73; guitar great played memorably in San Diego over the years

Eclectic guitar legend Larry Coryell, whose memorable performances in San Diego date back to at least the 1970s, died Sunday in New York City. The Texas native was 73 and “passed away in his sleep at his hotel from natural causes,” according to his publicist, John Lappen.

Coryell performed at a variety of San Diego venues over the decades. They ranged from the Catamaran and the East County Performing Arts Center to SDSU’s Montezuma Hall and Anthology, where he happily talked shop with saxophone icon James Moody in 2007 and performed again in 2008.

Coryell’s highly influential 1969 album, “Spaces,” has long been considered one of the pillars of the jazz-rock fusion movement that soon followed. He stood out whether performing fusion, bebop and post-bop, or any number of jazz styles in between.

The versatile guitarist recorded more than 60 albums under his name. He recorded a good number more with such jazz legends as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Chico Hamilton, Gary Burton, Chet Baker, Stéphane Grappelli, Chet Baker and such fellow guitar greats as John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía, Al DiMeola, John Abercrombie, Charlie Byrd, Sharon Isbin, Laurindo Almeida and Philip Catherine.

Coryell’s classic 1971 song, “The Great Escape,” was sampled several decades later by the Los Angeles hip-hop group Jurassic 5. Other Coryell songs were sampled by everyone from Biz Markie and Dr. Octagon to Cornershop and Aceyalone.

It was while playing in the bands of Hamilton and Burton in the 1960s that Coryell rose to prominence. His stunning combination of virtuosity, sophistication and youthful daring had a big impact on other guitarists, including the young Pat Metheny.

“The Gary Burton Quartet’s (1968 album ) `In Concert,’ just happened to be the record that did it for me,” Metheny said in a 1989 Union-Tribune interview. “It has Coryell’s peak moments of life! He was just ridiculously good on this record.”

Larry Coryell was born April 2, 1943, in Galveston, Texas and grew up near Seattle. He began to play piano when he was 4, then moved to the guitar. He was a journalism major at the University of Washington, before moving to New York in the 1960s and devoting himself full time to music.

Coryell was comfortable in any stylistic setting, from jazz and Indian classical music to rock and blues. In 1975, he sat in with Eric Clapton at a concert in London’s Hyde Park and promptly stole the show.

“I had someone once tell me that they liked my music, but they liked the person I was more,” Coryell told Florida Today in a 2014 interview.

“That made my day and was the best compliment, because I was more than my music. The human being we are is what is most important and it is the people we are that make a difference and allow us to live peacefully.

“I am fortunate to play music and I realized a long time ago that if you have a talent, you actually have to work harder at things. I teach my students that. Because if you have a natural talent it requires you to dig deep into it and understand the elements, know the basics, and know that indelible concept known as ‘taste’.”

Before he could live peacefully, Coryell had to overcome his own drug and alcohol problems, as he acknowledged in a December, 2016, interview with the French newspaper Herald de Paris.

“Well, the temptations of the music industry is a misnomer for me, because you have substance abuse problems all throughout society,” Coryell said.

“The disease of addiction can hit the local grocery clerk just as badly as it can hit a guitar player. For me, the best thing that ever happened to me was getting clean and sober. I still go to meetings... I was able to overcome my substance abuse problem by getting professional help and I strongly recommend that for anyone who thinks they have a problem.”

His quest for clarity began several decades earlier.

“It’s essential to stay aware,” Coryell said in a 1986 Union-Tribune interview. “I do what I can to identify with youthful enthusiasm, but I also try to pass on some human dignity. That balance is very important. It’s essential.”

Coryell performed his last two shows on Friday and Saturday in New York City at the Iridium, the same Times Square club where guitar pioneer Les Paul for years performed every Monday night.

What may be Coryell’s final album, “Seven Secrets” — recorded with a revamped edition of his early 1970s fusion band the Eleventh House — is due for release on June 2.

He is survived by his wife, Tracey, daughters Annie and Allegra, guitarist sons Murali and Julian, and six grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned for Friday at the S.G.I-U.S.A. Buddhist center in Manhattan.

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george.varga@sduniontribune.com