Larry Young (also known as Khalid Yasin [Abdul Aziz]; October 7, 1940 – March 30, 1978) was an American jazz organist and occasional pianist. Young's early work was strongly influenced by the soul jazz of Jimmy Smith, but he later pioneered a more experimental, modal approach to the Hammond B-3.

Biography Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, United States, Young attended Newark Arts High School, where he began performing with a vocal group and a jazz band.Biography, Larry Young Music. Accessed February 5, 2020. "Larry McCoy attended Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey in 1954. While at Arts High, Larry was a bass singer in a vocal group called the Challengers, a member of the Operetta Club and the leader of his own jazz combo." He was also the cousin of the drummer Jimmie Smith.Original liner notes from Larry Young's Groove Street

Young played with various R&B bands in the 1950s, before gaining jazz experience with Jimmy Forrest, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley and Tommy Turrentine. Recording as a leader for Prestige from 1960, Young made a number of soul jazz discs, Testifying, Young Blues and Groove Street. When Young signed with Blue Note around 1964, his music began to show the marked influence of John Coltrane. In this period, he produced his most enduring work. He recorded several times as part of a trio with guitarist Grant Green and drummer Elvin Jones, who were occasionally augmented by additional players. Most of these albums were released under Green's name, though Into Somethin' (with Sam Rivers on saxophone) became Young's Blue Note debut. Unity, recorded in 1965, remains his best-known album; it features a front line of Joe Henderson and the young Woody Shaw. Subsequent albums for Blue Note (Contrasts, Of Love and Peace, Heaven On Earth, Mother Ship) also drew on elements of the 1960s avant-garde and utilised local musicians from Young's hometown of Newark. Young then became a part of some of the earliest fusion groups: first on Emergency! with the Tony Williams Lifetime (with Tony Williams and John McLaughlin) and also on Miles Davis's Bitches Brew. His sound with Lifetime was made distinctive by his often very percussive approach and regular heavy use of guitar and synthesizer-like effects. He is also known for a jam he recorded with rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, which was released after Hendrix's death on the album, Nine to the Universe.

In March 1978, he checked into a hospital for stomach pains. He died there on March 30, 1978, while being treated for what is said to have been pneumonia. However, the actual cause of his death is unclear.

Discography As leader Recording date Title Label Year released Notes 1960–08 Testifying New Jazz 1960 1960–09 Young Blues New Jazz 1960 1962–02 Groove Street Prestige 1962 1964–11 Into Somethin' Blue Note 1965 1964–12,1965–01,1965–02 Larry Young in Paris: The ORTF Sessions Resonance 2016 rec. for French radio 1965–11 Unity Blue Note 1966 1966–07 Of Love and Peace Blue Note 1967 1967–09 Contrasts Blue Note 1968 1968–02 Heaven on Earth Blue Note 1969 1969–02 Mother Ship Blue Note 1980 LT series 1973 Lawrence of Newark Perception 1975 1975 Fuel Arista 1975 1976 Spaceball Arista 1976 1977 The Magician Acanta/Bellaphon 1977

As sideman

With Miles Davis Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970) – rec. 1969 Big Fun (Columbia, 1974) – 1969 sessions only

With Grant Green Talkin' About! (Blue Note, 1965) – rec. 1964 His Majesty King Funk (Verve, 1965) I Want to Hold Your Hand (Blue Note, 1966) – rec. 1965 Street of Dreams (Blue Note, 1967) – rec. 1964

With Gildo Mahones I'm Shooting High (Prestige, 1964) – rec. 1963 The Great Gildo (Prestige, 1965) – rec. 1963-64

With John McLaughlin Devotion (Douglas, 1970) Love Devotion Surrender with Carlos Santana (Columbia, 1972)

With The Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency (Polydor, 1969) Turn It Over (Polydor, 1970) Ego (Polydor, 1971)

With others Joe Chambers, Double Exposure (Muse, 1978) – rec. 1977 Jimmy Forrest, Forrest Fire (New Jazz, 1960) Jimi Hendrix, Nine to the Universe (Reprise, 1980) - on one track, rec. 1969 Etta Jones, Love Shout (Prestige, 1963) – rec. 1962-63 Pony Poindexter and Booker Ervin, Gumbo! (Prestige, 1963) - with bonus tracks on CD Woody Shaw, In the Beginning (Muse, 1983) - rec. 1965. also released as Cassandranite. Thornel Schwartz and Bill Leslie, Soul Cookin' (Argo, 1962) - Young listed as "Lawrence Olds" Buddy Terry, Natural Soul (Prestige, 1968) – rec. 1967 Love Cry Want (Nicholas/Gallivan/Young), Love Cry Want (Newjazz.com, 1997) - rec. 1972

References

Further reading Lass, Don (February 10, 1974). "Record Previews: Lawrence of Newark". Asbury Park Press. News staff (September 10, 1975). "A Bright New Jazz Organist Emerges". New York Amsterdam News.

External links

'Unity: Larry Young and Black Music, from Soul Jazz to Free to Fusion' at Point of Departure