USA: Larry Coryell's 11th House -Seven Secrets (2017)

The final recording by legendary jazz fusion pioneers Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouton in the reformed the Eleventh House in their all new album Seven Secrets which will be released on June 2nd. The late guitarist Coryell assembled founding members Randy Brecker (trumpet), long-timer John Lee (bass), the addition of son Julian (guitar) and the late Alphonse Mouzon (drums) to bring the rock and funk back to jazz again with a batch of eleven powerhouse tracks. The album is truly a group effort with Coryell relying on each member to contribute compositions to the new album (much like he did back in the 70 s).

In January, he went into a studio in St. Augustine, Florida, and recorded a new Eleventh House project titled Seven Secrets (Savoy/429 Records) with charter members from 1973: Randy Brecker on trumpet and Alphonse Mouzon (1948 2016) on drums, along with John Lee (bassist on the group s 1975 album Level One and 1976 follow-up, Aspects) and Coryell s son Julian, a six-string shredder in his own right, on second guitar.

The results, which will be released in June, are electrifying. Fueled by Mouzon s big-as-a-house back-beats and power-precision fills, Daddy Coryell cuts loose with sheer abandon on several cuts, like his Mr. Miyake and Mouzon s kinetic 7/4 title track. Coryell deals in audacious string-bending on the blues-rocker The Dip and the earthy Mudhen Blues, and delivers some Wes Montgomery-style octaves on the mellow Having Second Thoughts.

But the real killer on Seven Secrets is Lee s Dragon s Way, a 6/8 romp that will whet the appetites of true fusion fans. Sparked by Mouzon s slamming groove and Lee s slippery, singing tones on his resounding Rob Allen fretless bass (with ebony fingerboard and nylon strings), this catchy number also showcases the young Julian s mondo chops, which are coming directly out of the Steve Vai Joe Satriani school. Papa Coryell follows those mind-blowing fusillades with something simple, lyrical, tasty and blue a typically Zen response from the guitar master. --Downbeat