Lights On Larry Carlton & SWR Big Band

• 1 Mellow Out (Live in Studio) 05:07
• 2 Milestones (Live in Studio) 05:24
• 3 Kid Charlemagne (Live in Studio) 08:03
• 4 Fnnn (Live in Studio) 08:04
• 5 Too Young to Go Steady (Live in Studio) 06:53
• 6 My Favorite Things (Live in Studio) 07:30
• 7 Room 335 (Live in Studio) 07:01
• 8 Friday Nights Shuffle (Live in Studio) 06:38
• 9 The Wells Gone Dry (Live in Studio) 08:42
• 10 Black Friday (Live in Studio) 04:49
• Total Runtime 01:08:11

Info for Lights On

Mit seinem warmen Ton und schillernden Melodien ist Carlton seit Jahrzehnten einer der einflussreichsten Gitarristen weltweit. Auf dem Konzertprogramm mit der SWR Big Band stehen Songs, die wichtige Wegstrecken in Carltons Karriere markieren. Seine Mitgliedschaft bei den Crusaders, die Studioarbeit für u.a. Steely Dan, seine Einflüsse wie der Blues und natürlich seine eigenen Hits wie Room 335.

Annähernd ein halbes Jahrhundert ist der legendäre Gitarrist Larry Carlton nun schon unterwegs. In dieser Zeit hat er es bei insgesamt 19 Nominierungen zu vier Grammys gebracht, darunter in 2011 mit ‘Take Your Pick’ in der Kategorie ‘Best Pop Instrumental Album’. Bis heute zählt der Gitarrenvirtuose mit dem warmen Ton und den schillernden Melodien zu den einflussreichsten, produktivsten und ursprünglichsten Vertretern der Branche.

Die Künste des mit dem ‘Titan of Tone’ ausgezeichneten Musikers sind auf mehr als 100 Gold-Alben von so unterschiedlichen Künstlern wie Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand und Chet Atkins zu hören. Der ‘Rolling Stone’ zählt seine Performance auf Steely Dan’s ‘Kid Charlemagne’ zu den drei besten Rock-Gitarren-Soli aller Zeiten. Larry Carltons unverwechselbarer Sound, der Blues und Jazz mit Crossover Pop-Rock-Sensibility verbindet, zeichnet sich durch den ihm eigenen warmen Klang aus.

Der 1948 in Kalifornien geborene Larry Carlton erhielt seit seinem sechsten Lebensjahr Gitarrenunterricht. Die Liebe zum Jazz und Blues beginnt für ihn, als er im Radio Aufnahmen von Joe Pass hört. Bald entdeckt er auch andere ihn prägende Jazz- und Bluesgitarristen wie Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel und B.B. King.

Nach einem Musikstudium bringt ‘Larry Guitar’ 1968 sein erstes Solo-Album ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ heraus. Schon bald kann er sich vor Konzert- und Mitspielangeboten nicht mehr retten. Durch seine vielfältige Studiotätigkeit und seinen speziellen Sound werden u. a. The Crusaders auf ihn aufmerksam. Carlton wird 1970 für drei Jahre Mitglied der Gruppe. Es folgen weitere hochkarätige Aufnahme-Sessions, u. a. mit Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Paul Anka, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia und Dolly Parton.

Ab 1976 konzentriert sich die ‘All-Time-Guitar-Legend’ dann für eine längere Zeit auf seine Solokarriere. Mehrere Studio- und Live-Alben sowie weltweit erfolgreiche Tourneen prägen seine Arbeit in diesen Jahren. Höhepunkte bilden das Master-Jazz-Series-Album ‘Alone, But Never Alone’ mit dem er Platz 1 der Billbord Charts erobert sowie die Ehrung der Aufnahme in den prestigeträchtigen ‘Hollywood Rock Walk’.

1997 ersetzt Carlton dann für 12 Jahre Lee Ritenour als Gitarrist der Multi-Platin-Jazz-Supergruppe Fourplay. Daneben entsteht u. a. auch sein wegweisendes Album ‘Fingerprints’. Es gilt bis heute noch als prägendes Millenium-Meisterwerk des modernen Gitarrenspiels im Jazz, Blues, Pop und Rock.

Lange schon war Larry Carlton einer der Wunschkandidaten der SWR Big Band als Gastsolist. Vor knapp einem Jahr nun kam es zur ausgiebigen mehrtägigen TV-Studio-Session. Die Ausstrahlung der SWR und arte Koproduktion ist für Sommer 2017 geplant. In Rottweil ist es nun das erste und auch einzige Mal, dass der vierfache Grammy Gewinner live mit Big Band auftritt – und dabei fühlt er sich sichtlich wohl. Er genießt es geradezu, wie die geballte Kraft der SWR Big Band mit seinem unverkennbaren Gitarrensound zu einem wunderbareren Klangerlebnis wird. Auf dem Konzertprogramm stehen Songs, die wichtige Wegstrecken in Carltons Karriere markieren.

Die SWR Big Band gehört seit langem zu den besten Big Bands der Welt. Seit 2002 wurde sie vier Mal für den Grammy nominiert: für herausragende Solisten, als bestes Ensemble und für beste Arrangements. Musical Director des Konzerts ist Magnus Lindgren, der den Großteil der Arrangements schrieb. Der schwedische Saxophonist/Flötist ist hierzulande insbesondere durch seine Soloprojekte und die langjährige Zusammenarbeit mit Till Brönner oder Nils Landgren bekannt. Gemeinsam liefern diese Künstler eine Show, die ungeheuer swingt und zahlreiche Facetten von Blues, Jazz und Pop so zusammenbringt, wie man sich nur wünschen kann.

Larry Carlton, Gitarre
SWR Big Band
Magnus Lindgren, Dirigent

Larry Carlton
(born March 2, 1948, Torrance, California) picked up his first guitar when he was only six year sold. He was introduced to jazz in junior highschool. Larry then became interested in Bamey Kessel, Wes Montgornery and the legendary blues guitarist B.B. King. In 1968 Larry recorded his first LP, "With A Little Help From My Friend". Before he transitioned completely to a solo career, Carlton became one of the most in-demand studio musicians of the past three decades. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Carlton was a session musician in Los Angeles, making up to five hundred recordings a year, including albums by Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, The Four Tops, Christopher Cross, Barbra Streisand. From 1971 to 1976 he played with the jazz-rock group The Crusaders. In 1977 he signed with Warner Bros. Records for a solo career.

His major label debut appeared in 1978. After releasing "Sleepwalk" (including its title track) Carlton was fully accepted as a solo artist in his own right. "Alone But Never Alone" found Carlton playing acoustic guitar and the record proved a critical and commercial success.

Carlton demonstrated a stronger rock influence producing a credible cover version of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’ and Steely Dan’s ‘Josie’. He was awarded a Grammy in 1981 and again in 1987 for his version of ‘Minute By Minute’.

Carlton joined the GRP Records stable in 1991 and found a home that perfectly suited his music. His duet with labelmate Lee Ritenour in 1995 was wholly satisfying.

During the late 90s Carlton replaced Ritenour in the smooth jazz group Fourplay. His 2001 live album with Steve Lukather was noteworthy.

Magnus Lindgren
is highly competent and well-respected as a Soloist on Tenor Saxophone, Flute and Clarinet. He is also a prolific Music Arranger, Composer and Conductor, working on countless musical arrangements and compositions for Big Bands, Symphonic Orchestras and various other ensemble formats. In the European Jazz scene he continues to work more and more as a Performing Conductor.

Lindgren has collaborated with countless established and respected Artists such as: Herbie Hancock, Gregory Porter, James Ingram, Bobby McFerrin, David Foster, Take 6, Larry Carlton, Ivan Lins (Brazil), Till Brönner (Germany), Nicola Conte (Italy), Barbara Hendricks, Marie Fredriksson (Roxette, Sweden), Martin Fröst (Sweden), Ola Onabule (UK), John Beasley, John Patitucci, Ed Motta (Brazil), Youn Sun Nah (South Corea), Malena Ernman (Sweden), John Scofield, Chiara Civello (Italy) and many others.

Some of the major Orchestras he has worked with as a Soloist/Conductor/Arranger/Composer in his home Country of Sweden and Internationally, include: SWR Big Band (Stuttgart Radio Big Band, with Magnus as Artist-in-Residence from 2018 for 3 years).

HR Big Band (Frankfurt Radio Big Band), WDR Big Band (Cologne radio big band), Bohuslän Big Band (Gothenburg Sweden), Blue House Jazz Orchestra (Big Band Concerthouse Stockholm , with Magnus as Artist-In-resedence in 2004), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Big Band (Hamburg Radio Big Band), Bielefeld Symphony Orchestra, Latvian Radio Big Band, Norrbotten Big Band (Sweden), Malmö Opera Ochestra (Sweden), Västerås Sinfonietta (Sweden), Swedish chamber orchestra (Örebro, Sweden), Gävle symfoniorkester (Sweden), Wermland Operas Orkester, Dalasinfoniettan, KORK (Norway), The Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin, Gustaf Sjökvists kammarkör (Choir, Sweden), Orphei Drängar (Male choir, Sweden), Male Voice Choir MM (Finland), Monday Night Big Band (Sweden), Stockholm Jazz Orchestra (Sweden).

As a Musician and Composer, Magnus carries a vision to continuously explore the limitless possibilities when painting with ‘Self-composed’ and ‘Classical music’ brushes, an approached that was also explored by his role models such as Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, who are part of his influence in his efforts to dig deeper into the universal world of music.

Whether it is a small Jazz ensemble, a Big Band, Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Swedish folk tunes or the Brazilian Samba, Magnus has made it a career goal to maintain a playful attitude plus improvisation as tools that he uses to go in and out of different musical frameworks. These are also traits that have been consistent since his musical journey began at the age of 6. This naive child-like approach to creating music and improvising is the content thread in all his projects.

Around the age of 10, in his childhood town of Västerås, Magnus’ father ran a Music Store. This is where Magnus began experimenting with playing various instrument, which later afforded him the ability to substitute different instruments in his Band.

During his Undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (1992 – 1997), Magnus formed his own Big Band as well as a Jazz Quartet. This is where his inspiration and interest in composing for both small and large ensembles began to formulate. At the age of 18, he also got to play with his role model, the iconic Herbie Hancock through the Stockholm Jazz Festival (1993).

In 1999 Magnus received the “Jazz in Sweden” Award, a Swedish music prize that enabled him to record and launch his own album, “Way Out”. That was the start of Magnus’ own Jazz Quartet, which did a number of international tours, as well as winning the first prize at the Getxo International Jazz Festival 2000.

In 2001 Magnus Lindgren released the album, “Paradise Open”, an offering of his own compositions and arrangements for Big Band. This release opened many opportunities for Magnus, as it became an important work in the Swedish Jazz scene by winning at the Swedish Grammis, the Orchestra Journal’s The Golden Disc and receiving a great stamp of approval by Sweden’s Radio Listeners’ prize – Jazzkatten. In this Project he brought together a new generation of young and skilled Jazz Musicians, some of whom have established themselves as some of Sweden’s highly respected musicians.

Magnus has continued to be an in demand Collaborator, working with various outstanding Projects that include Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit, the Nicola Conte Combo, the Till Brönner Band. With his Quartet they also worked for several years with the opera singer, Barbara Hendricks, doing the Gershwin and the Billie Holiday songbooks. At the 2003 Nobel Prize Banquet, Magnus wrote and performed all the music as a Soloist leading his Quartet and the Stockholm Sinfonietta. This was broadcast live to millions of television viewers around the world, and the first to feature a Jazz musician at this prestigious Event.

Magnus has a repeat performance at the 2016 Nobel Prize Banquet, this time together with Clarinetist Martin Fröst and The Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

The album “Batucada Jazz” (2009) was the result of Magnus’s enormous passion and inspiration for Brazilian music and tradition. It was his International breakthrough. His own melodic world integrated with Brazilian rhythms and was written and recorded in Brazil with some of the foremost Brazilian Musicians such as Leonardo Amuedo, Armando Marçal and Kiko Kontinentino. For several years Magnus toured with this project both in Asia, South America and Europe. The album was also nominated for a Swedish Grammis in 2010.

The album “Fyra”, released in 2012, was a regular jazz album with his own songs, where Magnus collected an exciting combination of musicians such as legendary bass player Palle Danielsson. It was also well received by important platforms such as the Jazz magazine “Downbeat”. “Fyra” was also nominated for a Swedish Grammis. In 2017 Magnus releases the album “Stockholm Underground” on the German record label ACT, featuring Magnus’ unique approach to playing the Flute. This Project paid homage to the jazz flute Master, Herbie Mann and his “Memphis Underground” Project, where Jazz and R&B blended together. Magnus continues to tour with the “Stockholm Underground” Band regularly.

In 2019, Magnus performed to an audience of 30,000 people, conducting and playing with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, featuring Trumpeter Till Brönner, a close confidant of Magnus’, who played an important role in Magnus’ establishment through their various collaborations, touring internationally with various Orchestra sizes where Magnus had arranged Till Brönner’s music.

This album contains no booklet.