Larry Coryell - 1975 [2018] "The Restful Mind"

The Restful Mind is an album by jazz guitarist Larry Coryell. The album was released in 1975 by Vanguard with Ralph Towner on guitar, Glen Moore on bass, and Collin Walcott on percussion. The album was produced by Daniel Weiss and engineered by David Baker. The album reached number 35 on the jazz albums chart.

Guitarist Larry Coryell recorded several sessions for the Vanguard label during the '70s with varying results. He did manage two classics, Spaces, and this one, The Restful Mind. It is no small coincidence that the better the personnel he surrounded himself with, the better he played. On Spaces, the presence of John McLaughlin and Chick Corea raised his playing to another level. Here, with the backing of the group Oregon (with the exception of Paul McCandless), who were also signed to Vanguard at this time), bring out a more reflective and relaxed Coryell. His tendency to fall back on his chops was always a weak spot in his playing, but it is thankfully absent here. Both of the "Improvisation" pieces are highlights in Coryell's career, which along with the other beaufitul selections, make this one of his best, and certainly most overlooked, recordings.

I had gotten into Larry Coryell through John McLaughlin and the first Coryell CD I bought was the fusion classic, "Spaces". This album is still known as Coryell's best, simply because of the musicians that played with him on the album - McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Miroslav Vitous, Chick Corea (one track only) - each one a fusion giant. But it is "Restful Mind" that I find myself playing constantly, over and over again.

This album is more of an acoustic setting and features the great group Oregon - Collin Walcott, Ralph Towner, and Glen Moore (no Paul McCandless though)as Larry's backing musicians. They are a jazz band but with more of a world music flavor to them. Their playing along with Coryell's is exquisite to say the least.

All the tracks are excellent but it is "Ann Arbor" and "Song for Jim Webb" that really stand out. The album is very short at only 36 minutes but it is 36 minutes that will keep you enthralled.

I have read that Coryell has done many mediocre and forgettable stuff in his career, but when he was placed with talented musicians like John McLaughlin or the guys in Oregon, he always raised his playing to another level. This album is a perfect example of this statement.

If you like jazz whether acoustic or fusion (or both like me) or just great guitar, you will fall in love with this album like I did.

Larry Coryell's "Resful Mind" is a classic of the mid-70s that has recently been reissued on CD. I've returned to the recording at this point becuase it really exemplifies a new, broader, notion of fusion, almost exclusively ACOUSTIC. Larry is joined here by Oregon (Ralph Towner, Colin Walcott, and Glenn Moore). The music draws on everything from Classical to Country. Perhaps the most famous track to emerge from these sessions is "Julie La Belle" with its groovy stomp and rude twang. The coda to this tune as well as the concluding solo piece "Restful Mind" are mesmerizing. I'd also add that "The Restful Mind" has a coherence and SPIRIT that breathes throughout the record and that gives it a special identity. "Ann Arbor" and "Song for Jim Webb" are outstanding examples of Coryell's artistry.

I have waited years for the CD version of this old album. Now wonderfully remasterd, the playing is magical: incredibly soft passages followed by fire. Technically precise, but full of emotion. My favorite is perhaps Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess," but all the numbers are terrific. And, despite its title, this CD rocks. For Coryell fans, a "must-have." For me, a desert-island disc. Really, really superb!

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Tracks Listing:

1. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Menuet II (8:13)
2. Ann Arbor (5:01)
3. Pavane For A Dead Princess (5:40)
4. Improvisation On Robert De Visee's Sarabande (5:20)
5. Song For Jim Webb (3:15)
6. Julie La Belle (4:07)
7. Restful Mind (3:12)

Total Time: 36:22

Personnel:

    Larry Coryell – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
    Ralph Towner – guitar
    Glen Moore – double bass
    Collin Walcott – congas, tabla