Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine: The Last Call

Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine: The Last Call

By Phillip Woolever
August 1, 2021
View read count

Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine: The Last Call

ACT Music released this exceptional concert recording four years to the day after the February 19, 2017 death of 73-year old master guitarist

Larry Coryell

guitar
1943 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Coryell. The album documents a sensational set Coryell played with the equally skillful Belgian guitarist

" data-original-title="" title="">Philip Catherine at the Berlin Philharmonic. The event was an unplanned but fitting conclusion to their series of collaborations that began at the same location some forty-five years before. The sound dynamics and song selections create a vivid testimonial of musical composition and execution at the highest level.

Coryell passed away in New York less than a month after the Berlin show, and whether or not he ever heard the tapes we are not told. Coryell and Catherine initially played together in 1976, which led to a pair of subsequent albums, and further fruition on projects involving

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus and

Stephane Grappelli

violin
1908 - 1997

" data-original-title="" title="">Stephane Grappelli. Four duets feature the guitarists as a team. A pair of songs from the duo's first album,Twin House (Electra, 1977,) open the record. Coryell's "Miss Julie" can inspire either whimsical passion or lingering heartache, depending on listening conditions, and it's probably the top cut on this collection of standout selections. Catherine's "Homecomings" follows, a sweetly complex ballad featuring distinctly separate themes that progress along parallel pathways.

"Manha de Carnaval," an epic by

Luiz Bonfa

guitar, acoustic
1922 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Maria from the 1959 film Black Orpheus has been credited with spreading the word on samba and bossa nova throughout the world. The guitarists remain respectful of tradition while adding some nice personalized touches. Coryell's "Jemin- Eye'n" skips along with a superb, uplifting lightness of being. Considering the poignancy of soon to be circumstance, the song suggests a satisfied farewell.

Excellent guest stars add lustre. Coryell and bassist

Lars Danielsson

bass
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Lars Danielsson offer a shape-shifting version of

Milt Jackson

vibraphone
1923 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove" that includes multiple snippet samples of other classic compositions. Pianist

Jan Lundgren

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Jan Lundgren pairs up with Catherine for a take on "Embraceable You" that followers of

George Gershwin

composer / conductor
1898 - 1937

" data-original-title="" title="">George Gershwin can gladly hold on to, and trumpeter

Paolo Fresu

trumpet
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Paolo Fresu joins all four musicians for a fine, fully realized finale on

Oscar Peterson

piano
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Peterson's "Green Dolphin Street." Klaus Scheuermann, who recorded, mixed and mastered the album deserves a standing ovation himself for preserving wonderfully clear tones that resonate with power and emotion throughout. Bravo to everyone involved here, Coryell probably couldn't ask for a finer testimonial to his legacy.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Ms. Julie; Homecomings; Manha de Carnaval; Jemin-Eye'n; Embraceable You; Bags' Groove; Green Dolphin Street

Personnel

Larry Coryell

guitar

Philip Catherine

guitar

Lars Danielsson

bass

Jan Lundgren

piano

Paolo Fresu

trumpet

Album information

Title: The Last Call | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: ACT Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Naurora
< Previous

Miles Davis, Rodney Jones & Reggie Q...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.