AMG Review of Larry Carlton Collection, Vol. 2

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

Creatively, Larry Carlton has had his ups and downs over the years. The guitarist has recorded his share of throwaways, but when he really digs in and plays, he can be thrilling. Spanning 1986-1996 and drawing on five of his albums, this compilation illustrates Carlton's ability with both challenging and less than challenging material, and his sizable chops are put to good use on meatier fusion offerings like "Honey Samba" and the insistent "Remembering J.P." Still, The Larry Carlton Collection, Vol. 2 is a very mixed bag and less than an ideal introduction to his work.