By Mark Towns
Published: May 8 1997, Houston Press
What do Dolly Parton, Miles Davis, the Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra have in common? They’ve all utilized the guitar services of Larry Carlton. He’s recorded with so many artists that even if you’ve never heard of him you’ve probably heard him. Carlton gained his greatest notice during a stint with Steely Dan, though his work as a member of the Jazz Crusaders runs a close second. And it’s his work with the Crusaders that his solo work most closely mimics — that slick, smooth, clean, almost too perfect Los Angeles jazz style. Not that he’s completely locked into the smooth grooves; he recently toured with fusion masters Billy Cobham and Stanley Clarke, and you’ve got to be a smoking monster to hang with those cats. Whether burning or chilling, Carlton does it with taste. At Rockefeller’s, 3620 Washington Avenue, at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8. Tickets are $22.50 to $37.50. 869-TICS.