Reviews

Larry Kolker

“Sung with great soul, Larry Kolker offers a refreshing addition to the great singer-songwriter tradition with the powerful ‘Dog Year’. With a great ear for melody the arrangements feel positively energetic. Attention to detail means that these narratives feel akin to seeing a glimpse of a life being lived to the absolute fullest. Instrumentally rich, …everything feels perfectly balanced. The stylistic gamut runs from a western twang to elements of indie rock, folk with even a hint of reggae coming into the mix. A sense of humor and playfulness ties the entirety of the album together… [He also] incorporates a little bit of funk and jazz fusion…  ‘Dog Year’ shows off Larry Kolker’s undeniable chops, creating a sound that feels timeless and infinitely tasteful.” –Skope Magazine, Nov. 17, 2017

“…This 10 song will have you bopping in no time with his real sensual bluesy feel. The CD starts out with the title [song], AWFUL SMART MAN. This song will no doubt take you to the back country as if the bijou is right there with the stream, frogs and swamp things moving around about you… SEND ME TO THE LECTRIC CHAIR is another sweet bluesy song with some nice harmonica added in for some extra spice. This song is real sweet, as it bops  back and forth between the beats and you can't help but to get into it. … COMES A TIME is a song about aging and what becomes of a person as the just flow through life. The song has a nice tempo and melody throughout the song, you can't help to enjoy it. STRIPPER is exactly what he talks about in this song. You can feel the sweat and grind in this song with it's funky flow. The harmonica is really in your face on this one, which is nice… Larry is really makes the rounds if you check it out. Please go out and see him play and let him know I sent you. I would like to THANK Larry for asking me to do this review...I'm honored and I hope he'll keep in touch with me. People check him out and buy this CD, you'll love it." Rock on, Jim Allford,  Facebook Note

"From Cortlandt Manor, NY, Larry Kolker plays regularly in venues around the North East of the USA, where his style has been described as "urban country east-coast white-boy blues". That’s a lot to take in, and is really quite specific, so to make things easier, imagine a concert with Dylan headlining, Loudon Wainwright III second on the bill and John Prine third, let’s say it wouldn’t seem at all strange if Larry Kolker opened the evening’s entertainment.

"He’s certainly an all-round talent. He’s a distinctive vocalist with songwriting chops to match; an accomplished guitarist and an in demand blues-harpist. ... Here he begins with the title track, and the simple voice/guitar arrangement sets the mood for a self-depreciating lyric, and a near-yodel. “Send Me to the 'lectric Chair” starts slow and folksy, but when the instruments kick in, in swings like an early jazz-blues standard. There really is no shortage of variety on “Awful Smart Man”. “Top Percent” grooves like a ‘70s jam band and the marvelous “Don't Tempt Irene” rocks and rolls in a most satisfying manner. Before I sign off, I should mention his collaborators; Sticks Levine keeps the beat, folk-popsters the YaYas supply backing vocals, and co-producer / engineer Fred Gillen Jr. plays bass, and provides just enough polish for Kolker to shine."  - Leicester Bangs music blog 

"Nice Work.  You need to be down here [Memphis], not up there!  I hear Todd Snider, John Sebastian, Ms. John Hurt, and my old freind Dave Van Ronk...." -Bruce Newman, host, "Bruce's Folksong Siesta", WEVL-FM (www.wevl.org)

Larry's first CD, "Long Island Slim" received a coveted 2004 Viewers' Choice Award from www.Kweevak.com and has gotten significant airplay. It is "funky and cool, taking folk and blues and veering off drunkenly into a dark alley behind a dive bar. Unstructured and spontaneous sounding…. Let this jar your expectations a little." - Jennifer Layton, indie-music.com.

"I've attended Larry Kolker's one-man gigs at various clubs around the City and he has always delivered smooth performances, but tonight he was accompanied by an ensemble that included bass, lead guitar and a drummer backing his originals and a few standards… Larry ... was totally on point. His unique vocal flavoring with a hint of St. Louis-type blues style complimented by his superb, chordal/melodic acoustic technique and southern-fried, chain-gang harmonica output, gave pure pleasure to the nice-sized audience for this intimate venue. The band's performances backed Slim's songs with passionate fervor, and the lead guitarist threw in several well-balanced and controlled blues riffs & solos that greatly enhanced without overwhelming the songs." - MisterQ, homerecording.com.