Honestly, the reason I recorded the album was because Russell Malone had been hounding me to record something. I didn’t want to but he insisted I was ready. – Leo Larratt
I don’t quite remember how I first heard of Jazz Guitarist Leo Larratt – it may have been from Philly Jazz great Larry Tamanini – but whoever hipped me to Leo, thank you! Leo was kind enough to do a JGL Desert Island post a couple of years ago and while I wanted to interview him right away…stuff got in the way. But that was then and this is now and I am very pleased to present to you all the Leo Larratt Jazz Guitar Life Featured Interview 🙂
In this interview, Leo shares with us his early musical years in Australia, his relationship with mentor Russell Malone alongside the great George Coleman and Ed Cherry. He also talks a bit about his debut recording Casa Roxa and much more. So grab a beverage of choice, relax a little and enjoy what Leo has to say. I think you’ll dig it! 🙂
But first…
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JGL: Thank you Leo for taking the time to talk to Jazz Guitar Life. First off, if we can get into a little background about you that would be great. How old are you?
LL: Thank you for having me, it’s a pleasure to be here. I’m 29!
JGL: What geographical area do you reside in?
LL: I live in Upper Manhattan, New York City.
JGL: Nice! Now…for those who may not know you, could you give us an elevator pitch of who Leo Larratt is and then we’ll get into more detail as this interview unfolds.
LL: Ha! I always struggle with these kind of questions, but I will try my best. I am an Australian jazz guitarist who fell in love with the tradition of the blues and jazz, the great American art forms. This is what lead me to moving to new york in order to learn do my best to honour the music I love by trying to learn it authentically from the people who live and breath it. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m a guitarist who does his best to keep the tradition of the jazz guitar alive, with heavy emphasis on the blues – while also trying to find my own voice and place in it all.
JGL: No “struggle” there my friend! That says it all 🙂 Now let’s dig a little deeper. At what age did you first start playing the guitar and were you interested in jazz from the beginning or were there other musical interests before jazz? How did you find your way to this particular music and instrument?
LL: I started playing guitar at the age of 12 or 13. I was really into John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix, B.B King etc. Mainly blues guitarists. I never really took music seriously though, it was something I enjoyed and had a natural affinity with but I can’t say I had any real talent further than having good ears. It wasn’t until I was 17 going on 18, when I was introduced to Duke Ellington by my high school music teacher and later Wes Montgomery. I started to teach myself how to play by listening to Wes mainly. I couldn’t get enough.
JGL: That’s the way to do it! At this point in your young life did you attend a formal educational institution or are you self taught? Was there one – or more – particular moments that opened the flood gates so to speak as you went about learning this music?
LL: I was self taught mainly til I was 20. At that point I met a guitarist named Josh Hindmarsh in Sydney, Australia who really turned me onto some cool stuff. He was a big Wes and George Benson guy. After that I studied for one year at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and studied with two fantastic guitarists – Steve Brien and Carl Dewhurst – two of Australia’s greatest musicians. These three really turned me onto a lot in terms of just giving me more things to listen to. I have to say for the most part I really just figured a lot of things out by ear. Later on, I finally completed my undergrad in Jazz Performance at William Paterson in New Jersey.
JGL: Nice! So did you know early on that music was something you wanted to do as a career choice and if so, what were some of the things you did back then to make this choice work for you?
LL: I didn’t know music was a career choice until I started getting gigs when I was a complete novice at 18 ( I still feel like a complete novice at times). At that time I fell into a weekly gig and before too long I had a somewhat career in music without even realising it.
JGL: Very cool! At that time – and maybe a little earlier – who were your influences on jazz guitar – or guitar in general – and have they stayed the same or have they changed over the years?
LL: This is an impossible list, but to name a few who really stuck with me from early on – Pat Martino, Emily Remler, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Billy Bean, Ernest Ranglin, Grant Green obviously, Herb Ellis, Django Reinhardt, Peter Bernstein, Ed Cherry.
JGL: Nothing wrong with that list at all Leo..lol 🙂 So then…who are you listening to today (guitarists or non-guitarists) and why?
LL: Ed Cherry! He’s been a favourite of mine since I first heard him maybe 10 or so years ago. Dan Wilson is the man too. I really love to listen to Sullivan Fortner as well. Like I said, I listen to so much music that naming specific artists becomes a harder task than it would be to just name the people I don’t listen to. On another topic of music, I’m always listening to Brazilian music and I can’t stop listening to Joao Bosco currently.
JGL: Hmmm…I am unfamiliar with Joao Bosco, I’ll have to check him out. Now…in the same vein, who has been most influential in your life as a Jazz Guitarist and why?
LL: Without a doubt Russell Malone. He was my mentor and became like another father figure to me. We bonded from the get go over our mutual love of Oscar Moore and Herb Ellis. Strangely enough I wasn’t that familiar with Russell’s work until I saw him with Ron Carter’s trio, but once I did I was completely in awe.
JGL: My condolences on the loss of your friend and mentor. I think I can safely say that the Jazz Guitar Community took Russell’s passing hard and it still reverberates throughout the community to this day. Has there been a major influence in your life who was NOT a guitarist – or even a musician for that matter – and why?
LL: Bill Charlap. I studied with him at William Paterson and he really influence me not only with music but just in welcoming being yourself authentically and having courage in all elements of life.
JGL: One can’t ask for more than that! Now, speaking of authentic, I’ve seen you play in the style of Gypsy Jazz on a YouTube video. Is this a genre that you feel strongly about? From what I’ve heard from you, you tend to favor a more traditional Jazz/Blues approach. Do you go back and forth? Is there a particular style of music that touches your heart more than others?
LL: Ha!! This is actually quite embarrassing in terms of the playing!! I had been trying to teach myself jazz at that point for probably under a year so I had no clue what I was doing music wise. I guess its a nice memory though and shows an exciting time in my life when everything was so undiscovered. Since then I haven’t made really any attempts at learning that style of playing. I don’t think any style touches my heart more than another, its just always to do with whether what I’m hearing makes me feel something or not.
JGL: Understood! Speaking of the Gypsy Jazz video I watched, the context evolved around the fact that you built your own Gypsy style guitar. Wow!! It sounds great!! How did that come about and are you still involved in the Luthier business? Have you made other guitars?
LL: I actually have made a couple of acoustic guitars. As a teenager, I originally hoped to become a carpenter. I’ve always done things with my hands and loved to build. I was taught to build guitars by one of my fathers friends and I worked on this guitar in his workshop where he taught lutherie skills. I started to build an arch top after that but never finished. That was 11 years ago and I haven’t thought about building a guitar since. Maybe one day.
JGL: I think that would be a cool “side hustle”…:) Let’s talk a little about your playing – which I find marvelous by the way – what was your practice routine like when you were beginning and what is it like now? Are there specific areas that you work on or do you just play through tunes? When improvising, are you thinking chord/scale relationships or is there something else going on?
LL: When I was starting out I was always playing along to recordings, and always listening. These days I work a lot on learning repertoire and have been experimenting a lot more with open strings etc. I’m always trying to figure out little ways of making some solo arrangements and am fascinated by the endless possibilities when it comes to reharmonisation. When improvising, lately I try to think a lot about melody and trying to keep some form of my weird personality in there too. Chord tones are a big part too.
JGL: Agreed! Speaking of practice routines, do you give private lessons and if so, how does one go about studying with you? Is there a particular level of student you are looking for?
LL: I don’t currently give private lessons.
JGL: You mention above that the great Russell Malone was your mentor and a father figure which is just beautiful. You also studied with Russell Malone for a couple of years I believe? Can you talk a bit about Russell’s approach and what you got out of the lessons? Was he hard to pin down for lessons?
LL: I was incredibly lucky to be really close to Russell, and yes, I also studied with him while I was at William Paterson so that made it easy to see him a couple times a week. A lot of our lessons were playing duo and listening to other guitarists. He would talk to me about staying relaxed musically and in life, and would always talk about the parallels between the two. We never spoke about theory to anything. He loved knowing the lyrics to songs, something that I enjoy too especially when playing a ballad. He really just told me the things I was doing right and wrong and helped steer me in an honest direction.
JGL: You must have such wonderful memories of this time I can’t even imagine. Recently you also seem to making even more memories with another luminary of this art form, George Coleman! It appears that you have played with George on more than one occasion! How did that come about and what lessons did you learn being on the bandstand with such a power-house of Contemporary Jazz?
LL: Yes I’m very lucky to have worked a lot with him. That came to be because I play quite a bit with Emmet Cohen, and a few years ago we were doing some organ trio gigs at Smoke with a special guest. The first special guest was Houston Person, and the second was George Coleman. From that, George invited me to his apartment to jam. He has schooled me on so many songs I didn’t even know existed. I’m lucky to be a regular member of his quintet these days. I really think that he’s the most important living musician right now.
JGL: I agree totally. Now, I’m curious…in a round-about way what kind of “lessons” have you had to learn as a relatively new resident of New York City? Was the pull that strong to play music in NYC? Any regrets in this department?
LL: I have absolutely no regrets. I think a lot of things happened by luck and chance, but when they did I was always ready and tried the best I could at the time. The main lesson I have learned is that everyone is always going through something, no matter how cool or together they may seem. Compassion and lack of judgment are the most important things to me these days.
JGL: Well stated Leo! Before I forget to ask, what was your first guitar and what are you playing now?
LL: My first guitar was a Yamaha nylon string that my grandma bought me. Now I play a Gibson L7 from 1941 that was converted into an electric guitar with the addition of a Charlie Christian pickup, a Florentine cutaway was added also. I got this guitar from the great Ed Cherry.
JGL: That’s a gorgeous guitar and it sure sounds wonderful, which brings me to a major push in your musical career I would imagine: the release of Casa Roxa your debut album in 2025! First off, congratulations, the album sounds great! Lots of great playing from all concerned! How did you figure that now was the time to record an album and how easy or difficult was it to get done?
LL: Thank you so much! That really means a lot. Honestly, the reason I recorded the album was because Russell Malone had been hounding me to record something. I didn’t want to but he insisted I was ready. He was actually going to be there on the date we recorded but tragically passed in the month prior. I wrote the song ‘For Malone’ the day before we went into the studio. It was relatively easy to get done because I was playing with 3 of my closest friends. We went in, played everything down in one or two takes maximum.
JGL: Awesome!! Folks gotta hear it! What – if any – is the significance to the title?
LL: Casa Roxa means purple house in Portuguese. I grew up in a purple house and my first language was Portuguese. It felt like an appropriate title for a first album. I didn’t feel like going with ‘introducing Leo Larratt’.
JGL: I would imagine that having a record out is a lot more work than just the recording and distribution of said album. How do you market yourself? Do you find the business side of being a musician distracting? Do you have a manager or agent or is it all a one-man operation? And are you ever gonna get a website again…lol ☺
LL: I am absolutely horrible with this side of things I can’t lie. I am mostly a sideman so I haven’t ever found the need for an agent or anything like that. I haven’t marketed myself really at all. It’s something I will definitely try to be more cognisant of moving forward. And yes I need to make a website!!
JGL: LOL…agreed! As we have seen and heard, you have recorded and performed in a variety of musical situations (ie: trio, quartet, duo, solo, etc.) is there one that you prefer over the other and is there a particular situation you have yet to play in but would like to?
LL: I really love playing without drums, specifically piano trio with guitar and bass. Its such a magnificent feeling.
JGL: I guess that goes back to your love of Nat King Cole with Oscar Moore and Wesley Prince or Johnny Miller holding down the fort so to speak! Talking about “magnificent feelings”, in the years that you have been playing and now recording, are there any stand-out moments that you would like to share with us?
LL: Definitely the times I’ve played with George Coleman, without a doubt. There’s no feeling like that.
JGL: I can only imagine 🙂 Switiching the topic a little, almost every musician, no matter their level and professional stature, has their own insecurities to deal with when it comes to music and playing their instrument. What, if any, insecurities do you face on your instrument and how do you work at getting over them?
LL: I face insecurity every day with all aspects of life. Because music is such a big part of my life it gives me the most insecurity. The main insecurities I feel are to do with not doing enough practice or improving as much as I would like to. I try to negate these thoughts by focussing on how happy music can make me and how great it feels to play the guitar.
JGL: Thanks for sharing that with us Leo and being candid. Have you ever had second thoughts about your choice to have music as a career and if so, what other career path do you think you would have followed had you not been a guitar player.
LL: I mentioned carpentry earlier on in terms of prior experience, but if I had to choose something else it would be social work/psychology. Mental health is something I am incredibly passionate about.
JGL: Thank you for that. If you had to do one thing over again, what would it be and why?
LL: I can’t say I have an answer to this. There are hundreds of regrets and embarrassing moments, but I believe they all happened for a reason.
JGL: I am in total agreement with you. Now for something a little lighter…lol…when you are not playing, practicing or recording, what do you like to do with your free time? Do you watch TV, go to movies, play video games or is the guitar and it’s study first and foremost in your life?
LL: I love to read books of all types. I love anything to do with nature and can walk for hours on end. I also love watching movies!!
JGL: Nice! Can you tell Jazz Guitar Life readers one thing that may surprise them about you?
LL: Ummm, off the top of my head – I really like to knit. I don’t know if that’s surprising but its something most people wouldn’t think.
JGL: I wasn’t expecting that…lol…but honestly, knitting sounds so relaxing, possibly meditative. Good stuff! Is there anything in the music world – genre, players – that is exciting you these days?
LL: Cecile Mclorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner! Two absolute geniuses of our time. (ed. note: French-American singer/songwriter and American Jazz pianist respectively).
JGL: Will need to check those two out for sure! Now…as we wrap up this interview, tell us…what does the future hold for Leo Larratt?
LL: Hopefully just staying on my path and learning to be more accepting of things as they come and go.
JGL: Perfect! Thank you Leo for taking the time to chat with Jazz Guitar Life. All the best in all that you do!
LL: Thank you!
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If you would like to support all the work I do on Jazz Guitar Life, please consider buying me a coffee or if you prefer PayPal . Thank you and your patronage is greatly appreciated regardless if you buy me a coffee or not🙂 🙂
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