What’s Hot With Jazz Guitar: Larry Camp

by Doc Dosco

 

This week we feature San Francisco jazz guitar ‘wizard’ Larry Camp. Born in Virginia. Larry Camp learned his craft along the East Coast of the United States and at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida. Out of the many styles of music he’s played over the years — rock n’ roll, R&B — Larry chose to concentrate on jazz and has been hailed by Musician Magazine as one of the ten best guitar players in the US.

 

The elegant style of Larry Camp has been part of long standing gigs at Bertha’s in Baltimore and the One Step Down in Washington, D.C. Larry Camp has played for thePresident at the Kennedy Center and toured Europe playing jazz festivals in Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. Larry has played with Marcus Belgrave and Julius Hemphill for the Baltimore BCCM; and Dizzy Gillespie, Gary Bartz and Woody Shaw in Baltimore at the Jazz Closet.

 

Larry has been reviewed by Jazz Times and has recorded with several artists: Chris Bacus, Ellen Gross, Larry Goldings and with Ron Holloway on a national #1 Jazz CD.

Guitarist Mike Cripe said “Camp combines technical mastery with dead-on swinging rhythm, bebop sensibility, humor, joy and the blues. He is a rare player whose knowledge of and respect for tradition do not obscure his own statement.”

 

Larry studied with some of the very biggest names in guitar, including Joe Pass, Howard Alden, and Jimmy Bruno. He seems to have borrowed from all of their techniques to create his own style. As a result, he is one of the most versatile and tasteful guitar players you will ever hear.

 

Influences: Grant Green, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Tal

 

Farlow and Jimi Hendrix.

 

Larry Camp’s homepage with sound clips:

 

Doc Dosco is a jazz guitarist, composer and audio consultant living in Los Angeles, CA. His website is located at http://www.docdosco.com, where you can find more information on the ‘What’s Hot with Jazz Guitar‘ columns, audio clips of Doc’s playing, and many additional features. Doc now endorses Peerless Guitars and has the website Jazz Guitar Zone to help promote Peerless jazz guitars in the US. He also endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps — great for jazz (and anything else!)

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