Search - Larry Carlton :: Gift

Innocuous but indistinguishable

08/25/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Larry Carlton has been putting out smooth jazz records long before the term "smooth jazz" was coined. Probably the world's most prolific studio guitarist, Carlton's records have been, for the most part, slickly-produced affairs containing at least a two or three catchy originals, a combination that has earned him a couple of Grammies. The problem is, it's hard to listen to an LC song for the first time and know for certain that it's him. Records like "The Gift" try so hard to please a wide audience that he tends to dilute his talents to the lowest common denominator, probably a curse for a sessionist who made a good living adapting his style for what each song calls for instead of vice versa. Fans from the seventies and early-eighties period will be hard-pressed to find his old trademark Gibson ES335 sound here, but I'm pretty sure he took it out of the attic for "My Old Town", with a solo lifted almost straight out of the old Crusaders tune "Lillies of the Nile". A handful of other songs like "Osaka Cool" and "Shop 'Till You Drop" are pretty good, too, but nothing that a whole lot of other smooth jazzers don't put out these days, either.If you're simply just into this kind of "jazz", you surely won't be disappointed. If you're more interested in hearing LC play at his best, try "Renegade Gentleman"."

It's what you expect from LC...pure fluid guitar mastery!!!

11/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "Gift" is exactly that! For the easy listening enthusiast this is as classic a work as you will find. From the title cut to the "fab" Fab Four rework(Things we said today),featuring the lovely Michelle Pillar Carlton, This album will take you from calm escapes to the spine chilling riffs LC is legendary for. A must have for the truly complete Jazz collection. Thanks Larry!"

One persons cd trash is anothers cd goldmine.

D. L. Worthing | Arundel, Maine United States | 08/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... What a find!
Carlton out does himself with great acoustic and electric guitar playing. Joined by studio veterans Greg Bissonette on drums, Larry Kimpel on bass, Rick Jackson on keyboards and jazz great Kirk Whalum on saxophone, Carlton and company put together 10 amazing tracks.
The former studio wiz plays fluently and skillfully on this 1996 release. He does an excellent rendition of the Beatles' "Things We Said Today" accompanied by his wife, Michele Pillar Carlton on vocals. It's beautifully done just like the whole disc.
Again thanks to the person who let this treasure go. ..."