“I have found very little originality and creativity in today’s popular music. That’s why I am always learning from the classics. There were no machines or artificial intelligence to enhance them. I strive to make Timeless Music.”

Murali Coryell: Soul Of A Nation

Soul Of A Nation, Murali Coryell's 10th studio album, is an eight-song masterclass in modern blues-rock. While not all the songs are politically-inspired—love always has a seat at Coryell's table—the ones that do go deep, lyrically and sonically, to achieve some of the most angst-riddled blues this side of Hendrix's take on the Star Spangled Banner. “Some of these songs were written during covid, during the first Trump administration," he notes. "They were a therapeutic reaction to what was going on at that time. I set them aside because I thought he would never get elected again. When it came time to do the new album, I realized all these feelings I had before, during the first Trump administration, were confirmed, and they're more true, more important and more relevant." While the album outwardly plays out in an array of styles from americana to rock to vintage soul, it always comes back to different iterations of the blues. "To me, blues has always been more than working within a 12-bar, 1-4-5 framework. It's a big umbrella under which it all exists. The thing about the blues is it isn't just the form, it's the feeling. The simpler the form, the more feeling you have to bring. It's real authenticity, being who you are and being as uncomfortable as you are comfortable. I'm trying to make people happier and bring people together, which is the beauty of what music can do. My whole goal as a musician is to make people feel the way I feel, and it's up to me to bring that, to make them feel that. If I do that, then they feel it. Music serves so many different purposes. Sometimes it's made for us to dance and make us feel good, sometimes it's to make us think. If it has the melody, it doesn't matter what language you speak or where you're from; melody is something everyone can lock in on. That's the essence of the blues, and everything else in the world, we're not alone."

(Photo: Murali Coryell)

Beyond the quite literal family DNA of brilliant guitar work that runs through the core of every one of his releases, Coryell's passion, emotion and honesty power the engine that makes Soul Of A Nation so compelling. "I'm not looking for perfection, I'm looking for humanity. Being a musician is a calling, like being a priest or a nurse or a teacher. You're not doing it for the money, you're doing it because it's a part of who you are."

Interview by Michael Limnios               Special Thanks: Larry Kay (Night Train PR)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

Since I grew up in a musical environment, I always felt the happiness and togetherness associated with music. Some of my earliest memories are being at my father’s concerts and being drawn to the stage and to the sound. I remember feeling admiration for my father upon seeing the people‘s appreciation for his talents. Since I grew up listening to the music of the 60s and 70s, I also saw how the music reflected the culture of society as well. The moment that changed my music life the most would probably be the first time I played on stage with a group and the first time I played on stage with my father. My experience was such that I wanted to be on stage again.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I describe my sound as organic. I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for feeling, sound, and groove. It’s all about the song. Whatever the style is, as a musician, you should play what is best for the song. I love diversity in music. I embrace all styles. My creative drive comes from life experience as well as inspiration.

“Since I grew up in a musical environment, I always felt the happiness and togetherness associated with music. Some of my earliest memories are being at my father’s concerts and being drawn to the stage and to the sound. I remember feeling admiration for my father upon seeing the people‘s appreciation for his talents.” (Murali Coryell / Photos by James Rice)

What keeps a musician passionate over the years in music? What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions?

What keeps a musician passionate is there love for music and the need to feed that creative part of their soul.

As far as technique goes, it is only as good as to serve the music you are trying to play. I appreciate all the skills and talents that so many musicians have to offer. I strive to be authentic. Joe Louis Walker told me “it is better to be a bad version of yourself than a good version of somebody else.” We also talk of playing to express not to impress. Music is not supposed to be competition. It is meant to lift each other up.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of music?

I have found very little originality and creativity in today’s popular music. That’s why I am always learning from the classics. There were no machines or artificial intelligence to enhance them. I strive to make Timeless Music. The kind that I grew up listening to and admiring. For the future of music, it depends on the musicians playing the very best they can to make the audience feel like we do. And that also includes writing new songs that reflect the changes in today’s world.

Are there any specific memories or highlights of your career that you would like to tell us about?!

I am very happy that we recorded “The Coryells” album with my father and my brother Julian. Other highlights include touring with BB King, playing with Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Pinetop Perkins touring with saxophonist Bill Evans, the Coryells, many years playing and touring with Joe Louis Walker. I have had many happy and productive years playing and recording with Texas drummer Ernie Durawa, which led to me playing with Delbert McClinton who is one of my heroes. Because of my fathers’ connections with so many musicians, I have had the opportunity to play with Alphonse Mouzon, Victor Bailey, Mark Egan, Bernard Purdie, Lenny White, Chuck Rainey, Cornell Dupree, Danny Gottlieb and many others. Another highlight was being nominated for a blues musical award in Memphis, Tennessee and being inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. Another wonderful experience has been playing the Mustique Blues Festival 10 years in a row now and having the opportunity to play with wonderful musicians and having Mick Jagger in the audience. Every recording I have ever released has been a highlight for me. The latest “Soul Of A Nation” is no exception. I am proud to have it released on vinyl. Opening up the record and playing it was a wonderful experience and a dream come true.

“I describe my sound as organic. I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for feeling, sound, and groove. It’s all about the song. Whatever the style is, as a musician, you should play what is best for the song. I love diversity in music. I embrace all styles. My creative drive comes from life experience as well as inspiration.” (Murali Coryell with his father, Larry Coryell)

Why do you think that Larry Coryell music legacy continues to generate such a devoted following?

My father raised the bar for guitar playing and changed the game. He made everybody have to practice and get better. He had one of the most creative musical minds and was an incredible accompanist as well as a soloist. He has left behind a vast catalogue of recordings and compositions that will stand the test of time.

Also, as a person, my father was a larger than life figure who was very generous with his music and his time.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

One moment that stands out to me is when I decided I wanted to be a musician and I told my father I want to be a great guitarist and he told me “son, just worry about being a good person“. When I met heroes Stevie Ray Vaughan and Wayne Shorter, told them I want to shake your hand so I can be just like you. They told me “you’re going to find your own thing“.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

It was important to me to put out a new album since before Covid. It represents years of pent up music in me that I wanted to get out to the rest of the world. I hope it draws attention to my previous recordings as well. I continue to perform live having recently returned from a tour in Holland, I see that American music is known and loved everywhere. It’s important for independent artists to take advantage of the tools that artificial intelligence can provide and to use social media to share our music.

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(Photo: Murali Coryell)