About Larry Dunn

Musician, singer-songwriter Larry Dunn has recently completed his 4th independent CD One Of These Days released on his record label New Blue Classics. Songs from his 3 prior CDs Migration Of The Groove, The Hound of Music and Got It Workin’ have been placed in movies; used on television (network and cable); included on compilation albums; covered by other artists; recorded for Muzak and have charted in the Top 10 on syndicated radio.

Larry was raised in a musical household and as far back as he can remember, great music was always playing on his family’s Hi-Fi. On any given day he’d hear the sounds of The Nat Cole Trio, Charlie Christian (Benny Goodman Quintet), Illinois Jacquet, Wes Montgomery or Allen Touissaint. The thrill he got listening with his family to these great sounds began his life long love for music and set the stage for his musical career. He bought his first guitar (a used ‘Montgomery Ward’ sunburst model) at age 14. Not long after, he joined a local rock ‘n’ roll band in his hometown of Casper Wyoming and played regularly with this group throughout high school.

Larry’s travels began in earnest when he moved to Denver Colorado after graduating high school. It was there that he first saw, heard and studied some of the legendary electric blues players… the Three Kings (B.B., Albert and Freddie), Magic Sam and Buddy Guy as well as the rock ‘n’ roll poet laureate Chuck Berry and the great rock players Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. During his stay in Denver he was fortunate to have met and played with musicians hungry to learn all the ‘roots’ music they could…Bluegrass, Country, Delta Blues and the current Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Jazz. It was from this diverse musical background that Larry began to find his voice.

The idea of working on the West Coast had always been on the top of the list for him so when the prospect of working with a group in California presented itself, Larry moved from Denver to the Golden State. Settling in San Francisco he began playing in the local clubs and experiencing the cultural richness that only a town like San Francisco can offer. Since moving to California he has had the opportunity to work with Bo Diddley, Eddie Money, Steve Cropper, Big Joe Turner, Mary Wells and Sir Mac Rice (the man that penned “Mustang Sally” and “Respect Yourself”) as well as many of the great local musicians in the Bay Area. He spent 6 years touring and recording with The Dynatones and as guitarist-songwriter for that group Larry recorded one album for Warner Bros. Records, two albums for Rounder Records and a single for Rhino Records. His work with The Dynatones also included opening for many great artists including The Four Tops, The Stylistics, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jr. Walker and the list goes on.

After leaving The Dynatones he formed and led his own group The Rhythm Sheiks. This band had a long run in San Francisco performing regularly in Bay Area nightclubs and included two tours in Europe. Gone were the days of relying on cover songs to get the job done. The focus and success of this group was the solid, well-oiled original material that Larry was writing. “There is nothing I love more than going into a club where the audience is used to hearing the same old cover stuff, you know…tried and true but nothin’ new…and bringing down the house with original songs. If you can do that you may as well go for it, put in some new twists and turns, trick it up a little bit and take the audience for a ride”, Dunn comments. With The Rhythm Sheiks he wrote, recorded and produced two independent CDs (mentioned above) that were well received by both fans and critics alike. The band also opened concerts for Tower of Power, Dr. John, The Thunderbirds, Robben Ford, Junior Wells and C.J. Chenier among others.

The release of his latest CD One Of These Days begins a new chapter for Larry as he continues to create music in a voice that has become uniquely his own but at the same time draws directly from the immensely rich American Music Tradition that songwriters and musicians the world over invariably turn to for inspiration.