Larry Carlton

When you count The Crusaders, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Barbra Streisand amongst your musical credits, it’s no surprise that your resume would include over 3,000 recording sessions…and that’s all before 1980. Inspired by legends such as Joe Pass, Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery, guitarist Larry Carlton has been expanding upon that impressive foundation and cementing his notoriety as one of the most identifiable guitarists in contemporary music. With the nickname of “Mr. 335” after his signature Gibson guitar, Mitchell describes his approach as “fly-fishing”, aided by a volume pedal and leading to swooping dynamic shifts and versatility. With four Grammys and nineteen nominations to his name, his latest album, 2015’s Session Masters, showcases the smooth and tasteful tones, countered with the searing bluesy leads and dexterous jazz runs that Carlton has indeed mastered.