Guitarists’ guitarist Larry Carlton back for second Scots show
LARRY Carlton is the gifted session-guitarist whose long, long list of credits include albums by Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan.
He guested on Mitchell’s formidable mid-1970s albums – Court and Spark, Hejira, and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Rolling Stone magazine said his contribution to Steely Dan’s Kid Charlemagne was one of the finest guitar solos ever recorded.
Carlton recorded his first LP in 1968 and his distinctive guitar technique would see him record with everyone from Sammy Davis Jnr to Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Dolly Parton. He had a long and fruitful association with The Crusaders.
Carlton is, in short, the guitarists’ guitarist. It’s striking that on the rare occasions he plays in Scotland, he goes to Darvel – the Ayrshire town that has been put on the map by its annual festival concert series. He and his quartet played the 360-capacity Darvel town hall in 2010 and now will return.
“Larry’s show this Saturday will be only his second live show in Scotland in the past 35 years,” said Neil McKenna, the festival producer. “We’re enormously flattered that, of all the venues at his disposal across the country – including Glasgow and Edinburgh, of course – he is more than happy to come to Darvel.”
Carlton’s date in Ayrshire comes near the start of an extensive tour that will last until mid-December and will go to Europe, Japan and America.
On Saturday he will be supported by Nigel Clark, an esteemed jazz guitarist who has performed dates in Shanghai and Los Angeles and has worked with some of the biggest names in music.
There is one other concert in Darvel this weekend, when US guitarists Hamilton Loomis and Larry McCray join forces on Friday evening.
Neil’s wife Sheila, the festival director, said: “We hope music fans across Ayrshire and Scotland will support our community-led event and attend one or both of these shows.”
Paul Carrack’s Darvel concert on July 20, has sold out. JJ Gilmour and Skerryvore will play on November 27-28.