BAREFOOT BOY

Recorded at Lady Land studios in `71 Coryell grooves through three highly inprovisational pieces which are centered around his resplendent electric guitar playing and Steve Marcus` screeching saxes on this free for all which also features the relentless drumming of Roy Haynes. It`s a solid example of Coryell`s boundless energy in the early `70s and arguably his best amplified work.

The first track is a furious take on Gobor Szabo`s Gypsy Queen with no bass which adds to Coryell`s unmitigated fury while he tries to accomodate this void simutaneosly stating the bass line. Along with Marcus` crazed soprano sax there are two percussionists present throughout the session which add a groove to the frenzy. Especially effective are Lawrence Kilan`s omni-present conga offbeats. Coryell`s preference for the more mellow tone of hollowbody guitars set him apart from other guiarists who liked to push the limits at the time, and constantly remind the listener of his jazz attitudes regardless of how loud or fast he was playing, which gives Barefoot Boy a jazz feel while the volume suggests harder edged rock intentions. The Great Escape which rounds off side one, foreshadows his groovin`funked up playing which would surface with The Eleventh House with touches of psychedelia. The album concludes with a 20 minute jammed out track, Call To Higher Consiousness, with more of Coryell`s restless guitar improvisation and Marcus`Coltrane-on-speed saxwork on which he switches to tenor sax. However the overdrive of side one lets up at times and it transforms from a Go nuts Larry and Mike to a more reflective group effort with much more dynamics and the addition of Mike Mandel on electric piano.

While fusion nuts have been doing back-flips over this album for over three decades the sheer intensity of the playing disguises the fact that it is a loud jazz album with more of these attributes finding their way into the music throughout side two. However it`s percieved, Bare foot Boy is essential listening material from the formative days of fusion.