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| Larry Carlton | |
|---|---|
| Name | Larry Carlton |
| Background | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth date | 1948-03-02 |
| Birth place | Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz fusion, smooth jazz, rock, pop |
| Occupations | Musician, guitarist, composer, producer, educator |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros., Elektra, MCA, Favored Nations |
| Associated acts | Steely Dan, The Crusaders, Joni Mitchell, Larry Carlton Quartet |
Larry Carlton is an American guitarist, composer, and producer known for his work in jazz fusion, smooth jazz, rock, and pop. He gained prominence as a sought-after session musician during the 1970s and 1980s and as a leader with a distinctive melodic phrasing and tone. Carlton's career spans collaborations with major artists, solo recordings, and contributions that influenced contemporary jazz guitarists.
Born in Torrance, California, Carlton grew up amid the Southern California music scene that produced artists associated with Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl, Santa Monica, and nearby recording hubs. His early exposure included radio broadcasts from stations such as KROQ and performances at venues like The Troubadour and Whisky a Go Go. Carlton studied guitar technique and theory informally through local teachers and workshops tied to institutions like Guitar Center clinics and community programs in Orange County and Long Beach. Influences from regional musicians connected him to networks involving Capitol Records and session studios on Sunset Strip.
Carlton's early professional work placed him in studios affiliated with major labels including Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records, Columbia Records, and Elektra Records. He became part of the group of Los Angeles session players sometimes called the Wrecking Crew era successors, performing on sessions for artists linked to Motown, ABC Records, United Artists, and producers working with Phil Spector-style orchestration. His contributions appeared on recordings by artists under management or production by figures like David Geffen, Clive Davis, Tommy LiPuma, and Jerry Wexler. Session work placed him alongside instrumentalists from ensembles connected to The Beach Boys studios, Frank Sinatra orchestras, and rhythm sections tied to Studio One (LA) and Capitol Studios.
Carlton launched a solo trajectory with albums released on labels such as Warner Bros. Records, Elektra Records, MCA Records, and Favored Nations. His discography features albums produced in collaboration with producers and engineers who worked with Quincy Jones, George Martin, Glen Ballard, and Michael Omartian. Recordings often involved arrangers and session musicians connected to The Crusaders, Tower of Power, and horn sections associated with Earth, Wind & Fire. Solo releases received distribution through networks tied to RIAA-certified channels and promotion via outlets such as Billboard and Rolling Stone.
Carlton's collaborative résumé includes longstanding work with bands and artists like Steely Dan, The Crusaders, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and The Carpenters. He performed with ensembles co-led by musicians affiliated with Billy Joel tours, studio projects linked to Don Henley, and sessions involving producers from A&M Studios. Carlton joined projects featuring instrumentalists tied to The Jazz Crusaders lineage and contributed to recordings alongside players associated with Miles Davis-adjacent fusion scenes and groups that intersected with Weather Report personnel. He toured and recorded with artists on bills at festivals associated with Montreux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and venues like Carnegie Hall.
Carlton's playing blends melodic jazz phrasing, blues-based vocabulary, and rock-inflected attack rooted in traditions connected to guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, B.B. King, Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and Joe Pass. His tone and phrasing reference equipment and builders connected to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Gibson, PRS Guitars, and amp makers like Fender Amplification and Marshall Amplification. Stylistically, his work intersects with movements associated with Jazz fusion, Smooth jazz radio formats, and studio practices from the 1970s soft rock era that included collaborators linked to Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and George Harrison. Compositional approach shows kinship with arrangers and composers from Herbie Hancock-adjacent circles and songwriters tied to Carole King and Jimmy Webb.
Throughout his career Carlton received recognition including awards and nominations from organizations like the Grammy Awards and industry charts such as Billboard. His recordings and performances earned acknowledgments from institutions including the Musicians Hall of Fame and critical coverage in publications like DownBeat, Guitar Player, JazzTimes, and MOJO. He was cited in lists compiled by entities connected to National Public Radio music features and honored at events sponsored by organizations tied to ASCAP and BMI.
In later decades Carlton continued recording, touring, and teaching through workshops, masterclasses, and programs associated with schools and institutions such as Berklee College of Music, University of Southern California, and community conservatories in Los Angeles County. He produced instructional materials aligned with publishers and clinics linked to Hal Leonard Corporation and performed at benefit concerts supporting charities affiliated with MusiCares and The Recording Academy. Carlton's legacy lives on through influence on generations of guitarists connected to networks including Michael Landau, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, and Kirk Hammett, and through continued presence in popular and jazz recordings distributed by labels and showcased at festivals tied to the global music industry.
Category:American guitarists Category:Jazz fusion guitarists Category:Living people