Neil Larsen (born August 7, 1948) is an American jazz keyboardist, musical arranger and composer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Sarasota, Florida before relocating to New York and then, in 1977, Los Angeles.[1]
In 1969, he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. During his time in Vietnam, he worked as a band director, co-ordinating musical entertainment for US armed forces personnel. After his discharge, he moved to New York to work as a musician.[2]
Career
While in New York in the early 1970s, Larsen wrote television jingles and played on sessions for various recording artists.[3] He formed the band Full Moon with jazz guitarist Buzz Feiten, and their self-titled debut album was released in 1972. Larsen was briefly a member of the Soul Survivors. He contributed as keyboardist, writer and arranger on their 1974 self-titled album on the TSOP label. He began touring as a member of Gregg Allman's band in 1975.[2]
In 1977, Larsen relocated to Los Angeles,[1] where he played on sessions by producers such as Tommy LiPuma, Russ Titelman and Herb Alpert.[3] These projects led to Larsen signing with Alpert's record company, A&M Records,[1] for which he recorded on the Horizon label.[4] Larsen's debut studio album, Jungle Fever, was released in September 1978.[5] Larsen toured the US in support of the release with a band that included Feiten.[2]
Larsen collaborated further with Feiten in the jazz–rock fusion group the Larsen-Feiten Band. A self-titled album The Larsen-Feiten Band was released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. He has also recorded and toured with guitarist Robben Ford,[1] who contributed to Larsen's 2007 album Orbit.[8]
From 1982 to 1985, he was a member of Kenny Loggins' touring band, playing keyboards and synthesizers.
His compositions have also been recorded by George Benson and Gregg Allman, among others.[1] Larsen took part in Miles Davis's Rubberband sessions in 1985–86, which were later released in 2019. His song "Carnival" was later adapted by Davis into the piece "Carnival Time".[9]
From 2008, he toured and recorded as a member of Leonard Cohen's band.[11] Larsen performed on Cohen's Old Ideas (2012) album and on the singer's final world tour, in 2012–13. Cohen regularly introduced him on stage as "today's foremost exponent of the Hammond B-3 organ".[12]
^Cole, George (2005). The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980–1991. Ann Arbor, MC: University of Michigan Press. pp. 210, 216. ISBN978-0-472032600.
