Consumer Guide Album

Larry Coryell: Coryell [Vanguard Apostolic, 1970]
Coryell has been the jazz rock hope since founding the Free Spirits four years ago, so it's worth noting that his best record to date sounds mostly unimprovised. The title of "Elementary Guitar Solo #5" describes it perfectly--an unsurprising, fairly deliberate progression of notes over the solid bottom of studio soul aces Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie, with Coryell's color, authority, and dynamics providing most of the "jazz." It's also worth noting that the most exciting track on the album does sound improvised--"The Jam with Albert" (bassist Stinson). And that he's not singing a whole lot. And that he's still singing too much. B+