The Jazz Organ Scene

USA

foto by Dr. Jay Glover, 1970

Larry Young Larry Young Jr. was born Larry John McCoy in Newark, New Jersey on 07 October 1940 to Agnes McCoy and Larry Young Sr. who was a professional organist. The rehearsals that took place at his home and the records he played drew his son into music at a very early age. Larry McCoy began making music at the family piano as a toddler and soon his father was versing him in classical music and jazz. Larry McCoy attended Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey in 1954. While at Arts High, Larry was a bass singer in a vocal group called the Challengers, a member of the Operetta Club and the leader of his own jazz combo. In high school, Larry already had the title of "genius of virtuosity" and would go to jam sessions even though he was under age. The Challengers members, Dave Blocker, Lawrence McCoy, Norman Baldwin, Jennifer St. Luscious Brown and Florien "Lucky" Jenkins, sang and played together from 1954-1960. Larry McCoy started using the name Larry Young Jr. when he and his father, Larry Young Sr. were both performing in the neighborhood clubs at he same time.   Early influences Art Tatum, Bud Powell and Monk, was formed during those years. After some basic tutoring from his father, Larry studied formal classical piano with Mrs. Olga von Till. In early adolescence, Larry's interest in music began to wane, but when he was fourteen, his father opened a Newark nightspot called the Shindig with an organ permanently installed on the bandstand. Larry began fooling around on the instrument and was immediately taken with its variety of sounds and musical possibilities. It opened up his imagination and became his primary instrument, though he never totally abandoned the piano.   By 1957, music had become a consuming passion for Larry and he began working professionally, at first with local R&B bands around Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey and switched to the Hammond organ. He had become totally accomplished on the impossibly difficult Hammond organ, generating more sounds and music out of the instrument than anyone else around, Hammond dubbed Larry as the most talented innovator of the Hammond B-3 organ and presented Larry with an award. Jack McDuff called him the "Coltrane of the organ".   On 02 August 1960, Larry Young made his first album for Prestige Records, TESTIFYING, with Joe Holiday on tenor sax, Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Jimmie Smith on drums. Larry went on and recorded an album with Jimmy Forrest in 1961. In 1962, Larry Young and Dave Blocker formed a jazz ensemble with Woody Shaw a trumpet player who also went to Arts High, Bill Brooks on drums. The Trio went to Paris and Dave Blocker remained stateside. Later that year, he made his vinyl debut as leader with Groove Street. He procured the services of top guitarist Grant Green and signed to Blue Note, made classic records with artists such as Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan.   In 1965 he visited Europe, playing piano on Nathan Davis's Happy Girl. Larry was so taken by John Coltrane's music, he recorded with Coltrane and inducted drummer Elvin Jones to record a modal Jazz album with Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw and Elvin Jones: Unity (Blue Note) is regarded by many as the best Jazz organ recording. When all of these albums hit the streets in 1965, Larry Young was instantly seen as a force to be reckoned with.   By late February or early March, Larry was back in the states and reunited with Grant Green and Elvin Jones on 31 March for the recording of "Green's Street of Dreams" with vibist Bobby Hutcherson added. Woody Shaw meanwhile joined the Horace Silver Quintet in June, sharing the frontline with Joe Henderson.   Larry, Grant and Elvin would work in the New York area whenever possible. Larry Coryell remembers moving from Washington state and running up to Harlem to hear them on his first time in town and how powerfully moved he was by the performance of Larry's song TYRONE. Tyrone was the nick name of his son, Larry the 3rd. Larry Jr. dedicated this song to his son. TYRONE was later recorded by Grant Green and Larry Coryell.   In 1966, Larry was recognized by receiving the LARRY YOUNG ORGAN TALENT DESERVING WIDER RECOGNITION DOWN BEAT JAZZ CRITICS POLL 1966 award. A few days after Larry's last Blue Note date, John McLaughlin moved from London to New York to join Larry and Tony. He played on Miles Davis' IN A SILENT WAY soon after arriving, Miles offered him a gig, but he turned it down because he was so enthusiastic about Williams' new band. The band consisted of Tony, Larry and John and became the Lifetime trio. The trio recorded a double album (unheard of at the time) on Polydor, which they recorded on 26-28 May 1969.   On 14 May 1969, Larry played on a long jam session with Jimi Hendrix, bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell on "Hells Sessions" and "Nine to the Universe". That track finally came out in 1980 as YOUNG\HENDRIX on Hendrix's "NINE TO THE UNIVERSE" on Reprise records. On McLaughlin's U.S. debut album, "DEVOTION", on Douglas Records, Larry played both organ and electric piano. On 20 and 21 August, he played electric piano on four of the six tunes which comprised Miles Davis "BITCHES BREW". Larry also played on the 28 November Miles Davis session which produced "THE LITTLE BLUE FROG", which was issued on a 45 rpm single, and an untitled unissued piece.   1970 Tony Williams' next album, "TURN IT OVER", with the recording of John Coltrane's "BIG NICK", was a feature for Larry on live gigs. Writing about the original trio, James Isaacs put it most succinctly, "The Tony Williams Lifetime sounded like no other band in the world. The were the first and, without a doubt, the most honest and creative ensemble in fusion music. They spawned many imitators, including McLaughlin's own Mahavishnu Orchestra. Fusion eventually became a sterile, predictable, manufactured form of what was first meant to be startling and revolutionary." And everyone went to the bank, except Larry and Tony. Larry stayed on with Tony after McLaughlin's departure in early '71.   Hammond recognized Larry Young a.k.a as Kahlid Yasin by awarding him the HAMMOND EXCELLENCE AWARD KAHLID YASIN 19 June 1972. Larry appeared on the album EGO and made a final European tour before leaving. When John McLaughlin and rock guitarist Carlos Santana, both at the height of their powers commercially and artistically, joined forces in 1972 to record LOVE, DEVOTION AND SURRENDER for CBS and follow the album with a tour. Larry Young was the organist for both events. Larry also recorded "Love Cry Want" on New Jazz label that year with Nicholas, Joe Gallivan and Jimmy Molneiri.   In 1973, Larry made his next album "LAWRENCE OF NEWARK" for the small independent label Perception. The album came and went rather quickly because the label soon folded. September 1973, Larry recorded "Live in Chicago" with Billy Cobham at the Chicago Amphitheatre.   In 1975, Larry recorded with the Lenny White Sextet with Lenny White, Raymond Gomez, Doug Rodrigues, Onaje Allen Gumbs and Doug Ranch on the album "Venusian Summer". Larry also signed with Arista Records, and made two albums "Larry Young's Fuel" and in 1976, "Spaceball" which did not sell. The experience of playing before huge audiences on other tours had warped his judgment. He could not understand why musicians of far less ability and vision were so successful in the commercial marketplace while his efforts in the same idiom were not. Larry's personal frustration was never abated. He could not accept the economic triumph of lesser music by lesser artists. He knew his worth, his foresight and his innovations, and that made his lack of recognition all the more disheartening.   He spent much of 1977 working with Houston Person and leading his own group with tenor saxophone Buddy Terry and drummer Joe Chambers. In November, he made a beautiful duet album with Joe under Chamber's name Muse, DOUBLE EXPOSURE with Larry primarily on organ and Joe on drums and piano.   1978 started out a much better year for Larry. He was working on his music with renewed enthusiasm and developing a new group. On Tuesday, 28 March, 1978, Larry's new girlfriend gave birth, his son received a music scholarship at USC and a rather lucrative deal with Warner Brothers was finalized and Larry was to open the night at a New York club with his new band.   After Larry returned from California, he suddenly passed away under mysterious circumstances which are being investigated presently by the authorities. Like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and other artist of that period who passed away under mysterious circumstances appears that know you can add Larry Young to that category. Larry Young died a needless death at the age of 37. Larry Young was a wise, kind and loving man whose imposing stature was betrayed by his deep gentleness and respect to people who was close to him. He was very versatile, inventive and a pioneering musician who left the planet with a lot of unfinished musical business. We miss the man and the music he made very much.   P.S. As my father would always say, "BOINNNNG".   Larry Young III, November 2004

Testifying Prestige 8249 released 1960 recorded August 1960 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Joe Holiday, tenor sax Thornel Schwartz, guitar Jimmie Smith, drums
Forrest Fire New Jazz NJLP 8250 released 1960 recorded August 1960 in USA	Jimmy Forrest, tenor sax Larry Young, organ Thornel Schwartz, guitar Jimmie Smith, drums
Young Blues New Jazz NJ 8264 released 1960 recorded September 1960 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Thornel Schwartz, guitar Wendell Marshall, bass Jimmie Smith, drums
Groove Street Prestige PR 7237 released 1962 recorded February 1962 in Hackensack, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Bill Leslie, tenor sax Thornel Schwartz, guitar Jimmie Smith, drums
Soul Cookin' Argo Records LP-704 released 1962 recorded September 1962 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Thornel Schwartz, guitar Bill Leslie, tenor sax Lawrence Olds [Larry Young], organ Donald Bailey, drums Jerome Thomas, drums
Love Shout Prestige PRLP 7272 released 1963 recorded November 1962 through February 1963 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Etta Jones, vocals Jerome Richardson, tenor sax, flute Kenny Burrell, guitar Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar Sam Bruno, organ, piano Ernie Hayes, organ Larry Young, organ Kenn Cox, piano Peck Morrison, bass George Tucker, bass Bobby Donaldson, drums Oliver Jackson, drums Jimmie Smith, drums
I'm Shooting High Prestige PRLP-16004 released 1963 recorded February, August and September 1963 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Gildo Mahones, piano Leo Wright, alto sax Kenny Burrell, guitar Larry Young, organ Peck Morrison, bass George Tucker, bass Oliver Jackson, drums Jimmie Smith, drums Ozzie Beck, vocals
Gumbo! New Jazz NJ 8297 released 1963 recorded 1963 in USA	Pony Poindexter, soprano sax, alto sax Booker Ervin, tenor sax Al Grey, trombone Gildo Mahones, piano Larry Young, organ George Tucker, bass Jimmie Smith, drums Jerry Thomas, drums
Talking About Grant Green Blue Note ST-84183 released 1965 recorded September 1964 in USA	Larry Young, organ Grant Green, guitar Elvon Jones, drums
Into Somethin' Blue Note ST-84187 released 1965 recorded October 1964 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Sam Rivers, tenor sax Grant Green, guitar Elvin Jones, drums
His Majesty King Funk Verve V6-8627 released 1965 recorded May 1965 in USA	Grant Green, guitar Larry Young, organ Candido Camero, conga Ben Dixon, drums Harold Vick, flute, tenor sax
I Want to Hold Your Hand Blue Note BST-84202 released 1966 recorded March 1965 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Grant Green, guitar Larry Young, organ Hank Mobley, tenor sax Elvin Jones, drums
Unity Blue Note BST-84221 released 1966 recorded November 1965 in USA	Larry Young, organ Woody Shaw, trumpet Joe Henderson, tenor sax Elvin Jones, drums
Of Love And Peace Blue Note BST-84242 released 1966 recorded July 1966 in USA	Larry Young, organ Eddie Gale, trumpet James Spaulding, alto sax, flute Herbert Morgan, tenor sax Wilson Moorman III, drums Jerry Thomas, drums
Street Of Dreams Blue Note BST-84253 released 1967 recorded November 1964 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USAUSA	Grant Green, guitar Larry Young, organ Bobby Hutcherson, vibes Elvin Jones, drums
Contrasts Blue Note BST-84266 released 1967 recorded September 1967 in in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Tyrone Washington, tenor sax Herbert Morgan, tenor sax Hank White, flugelhorn Eddie Wright, guitar Eddie Gladden, drums Stacey Edwards, congas
Natural Soul Prestige PRST 7541 released 1968 recorded November 1967 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Buddy Terry, tenor sax, flute Joe Thomas, tenor sax, flute Robbie Porter, baritone sax Woody Shaw, trumpet, flugelhorn Wally Richardson, guitar Jiggs Chase, organ Larry Young, organ, piano Jimmy Lewis, bass Eddie Gladden, drums The Terry Girls, vocals
Heaven On Earth Blue Note BST-84304 released 1968 recorded February 1968 in in Englewood Cliffs, NJ/USA	Larry Young, organ Byard Lancaster, alto sax Herbert Morgan, tenor sax George benson, guitar Edward Gladden, drums Althea Young, vocal
Emergency! Polydor released 1969 recorded May 1969 in New York City/USA	Tony Williams, drums, vocals John McLaughlin, guitar Larry Young, organ
Turn It Over Polydor 24-4021 released 1970 recorded July 1970 in New York, NY/USA	Tony Williams, drums, vocals John McLaughlin, guitars, vocals Larry Young, organ Jack Bruce, bass, vocals
Ego Polydor released 1971 recorded February/March 1971 in New York, NY/USA	Tony Williams, drums Ron Carter, bass, cello Larry Young (a.k.a. Khalid Yasin), organ Ted Dunbar, guitar Don Alias, percussion Warren Smith, percussion Jack Bruce, vocals
Devotion Douglas - 4 released 1970 recorded February 1970 in New York City/USA	John McLaughlin, guitar Buddy Miles, drums, percussion Larry Young, organ Billy Rich, bass
Berliner Jazztage 1971 bootleg recorded 07 November in Berlin/Germany	Tony Williams, drums Ted Dunbar, guitar Larry Young, organ Juini Booth, bass
Lawrence Of Newark Perception PLP 34 released 1973 recorded 1973 in New York City/USA reissue 2001 Castle Records CMRDD288	Larry Young, organ, bongos, vocals Abdul Shahid, drums Jumma Santos, tom-tom Howard T. King, drums James Flores, drums Stacey Edwards, congas Don Pate, bass James Blood Ulmer, guitar Umar Abdul Muizz, congas Armen Halburian, congas, bells, percussion Diedre Johnson, cello Juni Booth, bass Art Gore, drums, piano Abdul Hakim, bongas Poppy La Boy, percussion Cedric Lawson, piano Mystery Guest, sax, vocals Dennis Mourouse, sax Charles Magee, trumpet
Love Devotion Surrender CBS 69037 released 1973 recorded October 1972	Carlos Santana, guitar John McLaughlin, guitar, piano Larry Young, organ Armando Peraza, congas Billy Cobham, drums Don Alias, drums Jan Hammer, drums Doug Rauch, bass James Lewis, percussion
Big Fun Columbia PG 32866 released 1974 recorded November 1969 till June 1972	Miles Davis, trumpet Carlos Carnette, soprano sax Sonny Fortune, soprano sax, flute, vocals Carlos Garnett, soprano sax Steve Grossman, soprano sax Wayne Shorter, soprano sax, tenor sax Bennie Maupin, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet John McLaughlin, guitar Chick Corea, piano Herbie Hancock, piano Harold "Ivory" Williams, piano, sitar Lonnie Liston Smith, piano Larry Young, organ, celeste Joe Zawinul, Farfisa Organ, piano Khalil Balakrishna, sitar, percussion, tamboura Bihari Sharma, sitar, percussion, tabla, tamboura Harvey Brooks, bass Ron Carter, bass Michael Henderson, bass Dave Holland, bass Billy Cobham, drums, triangle Jack DeJohnette, drums Al Foster, drums Billy Hart, drums Airto Moreira, percussion, berimbau, cuica James Mtume, African percussion Badal Roy, tabla
Larry Young's Fuel Arista AL 4051 released 1975	Larry Young, synthesizer, Hammond B-3 organ, piano, vocals Fernando Saunders, bass Rob Gottfried, congas, chimes Santiago "Sandy" Torano, guitar Linda "Tequila" Logan, vocals
Venusian Summer Nemperor Records NE 435 released 1975 recorded June and August 1975 in New York, NY/USA	Lenny White, piano, synthesizer, drums, percussion Tom Harrel, flugelhorn, synthesizer Hubert Laws, flute Larry Coryell, guitar Raymond Gomez, guitar Al DiMeola, guitar Doug Rodrigues, guitar Onaje Allen Gumbs, piano, clavinet, organ, mellotron Tom Harrell, synthesizer Jimmy Smith, organ Larry Young, organ
Spaceball Arista AL 4072 released 1976 recorded in New York City/USA	Larry Young, synthesizer, Hammond B-3 organ, piano Dave Eubanks, bass Julius Brockington, piano, synthesizer Jim Allington, drums, percussion Larry Coryell, guitar Danny Toan, guitar Ray Gomez, guitar Abdoul Hakim, percussion Barrett Young, percussion Clifford Brown, percussion Farouk, percussion Al Lockett, tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, vocals Paula West, vocals
Double Exposure Muse MR 5165 released 1978 recorded November 1977 in New York/USA	Joe Chambers, piano, tabla, cymbals, drums Larry Young, organ
Mother Ship Blue Note LT-1038 released 1980 recorded February 1969 in USA	Larry Young, organ Herbert Morgan, tenor sax Lee Morgan, trumpet Eddie Gladden, drums
Complete Blue Note Recordings Mosaic CD61-57501, 6 CDs released 1991 the set contains: - I Want To Hold Your Hand - Street Of Dreams - Contrasts - Heaven On Earth - Into Somethin' - Mother Ship - Of Love And Peace - Talkin' About - Unity	Larry Young, organ various artists
Love Cry Want New Jazz NJC-001 recorded June 1972 in Washington, DC/USA	Larry Young, organ Nicholas, synthesizers Joe Gallivan, drums, steel guitar, percussion, sythesizer Jimmy Molneiri, drums, percussion
Tony Williams Lifetime: Spectrum - The Anthology Verve 537075-2 compilation	Tony Williams, drums, vocals John McLaughlin, guitar Larry Young, organ Jack Bruce, bass, vocals Ron Carter, bass Ted Dunbar, buitar Don Alias, percussion Warren Smith, percussion Tequila, guitar, vocals, percussion Webster Lewis, organ, clavinette David Horowitz, piano, vibes, synthesizer Herb Bushler, bass Tillmon Williams, tenor sax
Retrospective Blue Note 7243 5 40851 2 3 compilation, recorded 1961 through 1966	Grant Green, guitar George Braith, soprano sax, tenor sax Lou Donaldson, alto sax James Spaulding, alto sax Booker Ervin, tenor sax Joe Henderson, tenor sax Hank Mobley, tenor sax Ike Quebec, tenor sax, piano Sam Rivers, tenor sax Wayne Shorter, tenor sax Stanley Turrentine, tenor sax Harold Vick, tenor sax Johnny Coles, trumpet Blue Mitchell, trumpet Lee Morgan, trumpet Tommy Turrentine, trumpet John "Johnny" Adriano Acea, piano Sonny Clark, piano Kenny Drew, piano Tommy Flanagan, piano Herbie Hancock, piano Winston Kelly, piano Horace Parlan, piano Duke Pearson, piano McCoy Tyner, piano Billy Gardner, organ Jack McDuff, organ Big John Patton, organ Jimmy Smith, organ Baby Face Willette, organ Larry Young, organ Bobby Hutcherson, vibes Dave Bailey, drums Donald Bailey, drums Art Blakey, drums Willie Bobo, drums Ben Dixon, drums Otis Finch, drums Al Harewood, drums Louis Hayes, drums Billy Higgins, drums Elvin Jones, drums Philly Joe Jones, drums Art Taylor, drums Hugh Walker, drums Richard Landrum, congas Garvin Masseaux, tambourine Carlos “Patato” Valdes, congas
The Essential John McLaughlin Legacy 88697 06831 28 compilation, recorded June 1963 to 2006	John McLaughlin, guitar, banjo London Symphony Orchestra Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor David Liebman, soprano sax, flute Ada Rovatti, soprano sax Graham Bond, alto sax Joe Farrell, tenor sax Per Carsten, sax Bent Jaedig, sax Uffe Karskov, sax Flemming Madsen, sax Jesper Thilo, sax Jens Engel, trombone Ture Larsen, trombone Vincent Nilsson, trombone Ole Kurt Jensen, bass trombone Axel Windfeld, bass trombone, tuba Palle Bolvig, trumpet, flugelhorn Miles Davis, trumpet Perry Knudsen, trumpet, flugelhorn Palle Mikkelborg, trumpet, flugelhorn Benny Rosenfeld, trumpet, flugelhorn Idrees Sulieman, trumpet, flugelhorn Jens Winther, trumpet, flugelhorn Niels Eje, cor Anglais, oboe Paco de Lucía, guitar Al di Meola, guitar Bjarne Roupé, guitar Carlos Santana, guitar Carla Bley, organ Thomas Clausen, keyboards Chick Corea, piano, synthesizer Stu Goldberg, keyboards Jan Hammer, keyboards, drums Herbie Hancock, organ Ole Kock Hansen, keyboards Gary Husband, keyboards Kenneth Knudsen, keyboards Katia Labèque, piano Gayle Moran, keyboards Larry Young, organ Jerry Goodman, violin Lakshminarayana, violin Jean-Luc Ponty, violin Lillian Thornquist, harp Ralphe Armstrong, bass Jack Bruce, bass Stanley Clarke, bass Tony Grey, bass Charlie Haden, bass Michael Henderson, bass Dave Holland, bass Rick Laird, bass Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, bass Jaco Pastorius, bass Dominique di Piazza, bass Doug Rauch, bass Billy Rich, bass Fernando Saunders, bass Bo Stief, bass Don Alias, drums Ginger Baker, drums Dennis Chambers, drums Billy Cobhamm, drums Jack DeJohnette, drums Lennart Gruvstedt, drums Buddy Miles, drums Paul Motian, drums Michael Shrieve, drums Tony Smith, drums Narada Michael Walden, drums Vince Wilburn jr., drums Tony Williams, drums Trilok Gurtu, percussion Zakir Hussain, tabla Alyrio Lima, percussion Mahalakshmi, tamboura Marilyn Mazur, percussion Airto Moreira, percussion Badal Roy, tabla Vikku Vinayakram, percussion Ethan Weisgaard, percussion
In Paris - The ORTF Tapes Resonance Records HCD-2022 recorded 1964 through 1965 by ORTF Paris/France	Larry Young, organ, piano Jack Diéval, piano Nathan Davis, tenor sax Jean-Claude Fohrenbach, tenor sax Woody Shaw, trumpet Sonny Grey, trumpet Jacques B. Hess, bass Billy Brooks, drums Franco Manzecchi, drums Jack Bamboo, conga
Golden Selection (Remastered) Master Tape Records compilation	Larry Young, organ no further details known

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