Murali Coryell + The Random Concept

Friday December 26, 2014 @ 8:00 PM

”Yes, Murali Coryell is Larry’s kid. But to leave it at that would be doing a disservice to the son. He’s a fine player who doesn’t play jazz, but a blues-soul hybrid that suits his playing and his gravelly, soulful singing to a T...soul music with Coryell’s twist that’s allowed to expand even as the song is being played. No doubt dad is proud of his kid and the path he’s chosen.” (John Heidt/Vintage Guitar)

"think a grittier, bluesier John Mayer." (Mark Uricheck/Living Blues)

Shake-It-Sugar Records is proud to announce the release of contemporary soul-blues singer/guitarist/songwriter MURALI CORYELL’s "RESTLESS MIND" on August 19, 2014.

Murali Coryell’s first studio recording since his acclaimed 2009 release "Sugar Lips", "RESTLESS MIND" was produced by Coryell and recorded at Mesa Recording Studios in Austin, TX. "RESTLESS MIND" features 11 Coryell originals plus a funked up re-imagining of the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On”, a song Coryell’s performed live for the past 20 years. Joining Coryell (guitars/vocals) in the studio are Ernie Durawa (drums), Chris Alcaraz (bass), Joe Morales (saxophone) and Jimmy Shortell (trumpet).

Son of jazz-rock fusion guitar legend Larry Coryell and author/actress Julie Coryell, contemporary soul blues artist Murali Coryell grew up surrounded by great music - by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and Carlos Santana. Murali began playing drums at age 8 and continued through junior high school. He started playing guitar after discovering the blues in his early teens. "I was into the music of Led Zeppelin, particularly a minor blues tune called 'Since I've Been Loving You'. My dad told me if I wanted to hear some REAL blues to get B.B. King's 'Live At The Regal' which to this day, I consider one of the greatest recordings ever made. The emotion and sadness in B.B. King's voice and guitar really spoke to me. That's When I first picked up a guitar." He took lessons for a while but picked up most of what he learned from listening to the music of other blues guitar greats...besides B.B., from early Clapton, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King.

The big turning point in Murali's musical career came at age 15 when he attended the National Guitar Summer Workshop in Connecticut. "For the first time in my life I got serious about my music. I started playing all the time. I got into jazz." He joined a jazz ensemble at college, studied classical guitar and graduated with a degree in music theory and composition. He founded a soul/blues band, The Ambassadors, in upstate New York in the late '80s. The band quickly became a regional favorite in New York's Hudson Valley area. In the summer of '94, while a faculty member at the Guitar Workshop, Murali met Duke Robillard who was teaching a master class. “Robillard heard me sing at a concert and asked to sit in with my band. He called me a month later and hired me as second guitarist for his upcoming world tour. He featured me on a couple of vocal tunes, Ray Charles' 'I Got A Woman' and Albert King's 'The Hunter'". Soon after, Murali was signed by the fledgling Big Mo Records label as a solo artist resulting in his Stax/Volt influenced debut CD, Eyes Wide Open In 1999 Murali recorded 2120 for Marshall Chess' CZYZ label. Rolling Stone magazine named Murali “One promising new hound”. Since that time he's released several albums including 2003's Strong As I Need To Be, 2005's The Future Of Blues, the solo acoustic album Don't Blame It On Me in 2007, 2008's The Same Damn Thing and 2009's Sugar Lips as well as a collaboration with his father Larry and brother Julian The Coryells (2000/Chesky Records). Murali’s 2013 CD/DVD LIVE was nominated for a 2014 BMA for “DVD of the Year”. In November 2013, Murali Coryell was inducted in the NY State Blues Hall Of Fame.

In additon to performing with his own group, Murali has toured as a featured artist with award winning bluesman Joe Louis Walker and his father, jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell.

MURALI CORYELL’s "RESTLESS MIND" showcases an an artist ever seeking, ever growing -- an artist at the top of his game. “I’ feel I’ll never be free/Till I can be just who I am/I’ve got a Restless Mind/Can’t be satisfied/Won’t you try to understand?” (from the title cut, “Restless Mind”)...

“Murali - which translates from Sanskrit to ‘divine flute’ - sounds like his own man - someone who has taken far more from Carlos Santana, Otis Redding...and Hendrix than he ever did from Miles, Dizzy or Dad. He mixes and matches like an enthusiastic chef, and stirs it up just as much.” (Nick DeRiso/Something Else! Reviews)

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Dave Beaujon (Bass, Guitar, Vocals)

Gary Higgins (Drums, Vocals)

Dave VandeBogart (Guitar, Vocals)

Terry Fenton (Keyboards, Vocals)

The Random Concept was formed in Western Connecticut in 1965 and was part of the NYC music scene in the late 1960's, when it lived and rehearsed at the now infamous Hotel Albert in Greenwich Village. Three of the original members, Gary Higgins, Dave Beaujon and Terry Fenton, remain. Simeon Coxe (Silver Apples) was an original member, as were Jake Bell and Ronnie Bailey.

The early original work of the band centered on improvisation, and in this context they experimented with the Andy Warhol group during the late 1960’s; an example was adding improvised rock music as Donyale Luna read aloud from the newspaper. Dave, Gary, Jake and Terry determined to take their music to another level and retreated to Connecticut, where they supported themselves by playing cover songs, while developing a high level of skill in improvisation. This had the effect of creating unique rock music, most of which occurred in magical moments and was never heard again. In addition to performing with the Random Concept, Gary Higgins (Red Hash) went on to do several other musical projects, as did both Dave Beaujon (Crowbar, Sportswear) and Terry Fenton (Sportswear, John McGill Jazz Group). In 1980 Jake Bell left the group and was replaced by Dave VandeBogart (CCB), who has 2 solo albums to his long list of credits. Although they have all been involved with other musical ventures, the current members of the group have continued to collaborate and perform with each other, culminating in a recording session where their recent CD was created. This presents original songs, composed in each decade from the 1960’s to the present and performed in the unique style of the Random Concept.

Links:

Tickets:

$20, $29