Larry Dunn

Larry Dunn
Larry Dunn with Earth, Wind & Fire c.1977
Larry Dunn with Earth, Wind & Fire c.1977
Background information
Birth nameLorenzo Russell Dunn
Born (1953-06-19) June 19, 1953 (age 71)
OriginDenver, Colorado, United States
GenresFunk, disco, soul
Occupation(s)Musician, producer, songwriter
Years active1972–present
LabelsColumbia, ARC, Another Hit, 101 South
Websitehttp://www.larrydunnmusic.com

Larry Dunn (born Lorenzo Russell Dunn; June 19, 1953) is an American keyboardist, producer, songwriter and musical director, known as one of the original members of the music group Earth, Wind & Fire. Dunn was inducted, as a former band member, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Dunn has received the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Dunn is a co-composer of EWF's "Shining Star", a song that's been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[1][2][3]

Dunn has produced artists such as Lenny White, Caldera, Ramsey Lewis, Level 42 and Twennynine. He's also worked with the likes of Ronnie Laws, Raphael Saadiq, The Emotions, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Brian Culbertson.[4][5]

Career

Earth, Wind & Fire

Born as Lorenzo Dunn to an Italian mother and African American father,[6] he early on became fond of music and later attended East High School in Denver, Colorado. During 1972, while in Los Angeles, Dunn joined a new band led and founded by a Chicago musician known as Maurice White by the name of Earth, Wind & Fire. As a keyboardist Dunn played with the legendary band for the next 11 years until his departure in 1983.[4][7][8]

Dunn went on to make a guest appearance on EWF's 2013 album Now, Then & Forever.[9]

Production

Dunn produced Caldera on their 1977 album Sky Islands. Sky Islands rose to No. 18 on the Cashbox Top Jazz Albums chart. He then co-produced Ramsey Lewis' 1977 studio LP Tequila Mockingbird. Tequila Mockingbird peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. He again produced Caldera on the group's 1978 album Time and Chance. Dunn later produced Lenny White on his 1978 album Streamline. Streamline reached No. 27 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[10][11][12][13][14][15]


Along with White he co-produced Twennynine's 1979 LP Best of Friends. That album reached number 15 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. Together with Lenny White he again co-produced the group's 1980 album entitled Twennynine with Lenny White. That LP reached No. 22 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. Dunn went on to produce Ramsey Lewis on his 1980 album Routes. Routes reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[16][17][18][19][20] He later produced Stanley Turrentine's 1981 LP Tender Togetherness. That album got to No. 13 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[21][22] He then co-produced, along with EWF's Verdine White, Level 42's 1983 album Standing in the Light. Standing in the Light was certified Gold in the UK by the BPI.[23][24]

Guest appearances

Dunn performed as a keyboardist on The Emotions' 1976 album Flowers, Deniece Williams' 1977 album Song Bird, Dee Dee Bridgewater's 1977 LP Just Family and Ronnie Laws' 1977 album Friends & Strangers. He also performed on the Emotions' 1977 album Rejoice, the Pockets's 1978 LP Take It On Up, Caldera's 1978 album Time and Chance, and Lenny White's 1978 album The Adventures of Astral Pirates. Dunn went on to play the keyboards on Ronnie Laws 1978 LP Flame, Hubert Laws 1979 LP Land of Passion and Dee Dee Bridgewater's 1979 album Bad for Me.[4]

He then played on Ronnie Laws' 1980 LP Every Generation and his 1981 album Solid Ground. Dunn then performed on Ronnie Laws' 1983 album Mr. Nice Guy and Jennifer Holliday's 1983 LP Feel My Soul.[25][4]

Dunn later featured on Morris Day's 1985 album Color of Success and Ronnie Laws 1986 LP Mirror Town. He then appeared on Ramsey Lewis 1987 album Keys to the City and Ronnie Laws' 1989 LP True Spirit.[4]

He later composed on Ronnie Laws' 1991 album Identity and his 1992 LP Deep Soul. Dunn also worked as an arranger on Laws' 1995 album Brotherhood. He then played on Dean James 1997 LP Intimacy and Reel Tight's 1999 album Back to the Real. Dunn also appeared on Ronnie Laws' 2000 LP Dream a Little and his 2004 album Everlasting.[4]

Dunn later performed on Brian Culbertson's 2008 album Bringing Back The Funk, Raphael Saadiq's 2010 LP Stone Rollin' and Culbertson's 2014 album Another Long Night Out.[4]

Discography

Year CD Label Additional info
1992 Larry Dunn Orchestra : Lover's Silhouette Another Hit Records Original, US release
1996 Larry Dunn Orchestra : Lover's Silhouette 101 South ( fusion label ) European release

References

  1. ^ "Larry Dunn | Songwriters Hall of Fame". www.songhall.org. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  2. ^ Aronson, Sheryl (2017-12-01). "Larry Dunn Original Member of Earth, Wind & Fire Inducted Into The Colorado Music Hall Of Fame". The Hollywood 360. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  3. ^ "EARTH, WIND & FIRE'S Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, and Andrew Woolfolk". cmhof.org. Colorado Music Hall of Fame. 6 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Larry Dunn". allmusic.com.
  5. ^ Williams, Chris (2012-11-21). "'That Groove Was Undeniable': Making Earth, Wind & Fire's 'All 'N All'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  6. ^ "ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com.
  7. ^ "Inner-views : LARRY DUNN". www.smartalecmusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  8. ^ Aronson, Sheryl (2017-12-01). "Larry Dunn Original Member of Earth, Wind & Fire Inducted Into The Colorado Music Hall Of Fame". The Hollywood 360. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  9. ^ Guerin, Harry (October 23, 2013). "Earth, Wind & Fire - Now, Then & Forever". rte.ie. RTÉ.
  10. ^ "Top 40 Jazz Albums". archive.org. Vol. 39, no. 35. Cashbox. January 28, 1978. p. 43.
  11. ^ "Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 90. December 2, 1978. p. 56 – via American Radio History.
  12. ^ Baekgaard, Jakob (May 25, 2019). "Caldera: Caldera / Sky Islands". allaboutjazz.com. All About Jazz.
  13. ^ "Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs". Billboard Magazine. Vol. 90, no. 10. March 11, 1978. p. 42.
  14. ^ Stenhouse, Tim (November 24, 2016). "RAMSEY LEWIS 'HOT DAWGIT – THE ANTHOLOGY: THE COLUMBIA YEARS 1972-1989' 2CD (SOULMUSIC) 4/5".
  15. ^ "Inner-views: MARCUS MILLER". www.smartalecmusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  16. ^ "Twennynine Featuring Lenny White: Best of Friends (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  17. ^ "Twennynine Featuring Lenny White: Twennynine with Lenny White (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  18. ^ "Interview: Lenny White". The Last Miles. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  19. ^ Marchese, Joe (2013-12-18). "Piano Jazz: Robinsongs Revives Ramsey Lewis, Richard Tee LPs on CD - The Second Disc". theseconddisc.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  20. ^ "Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 92, no. 41. Billboard. October 11, 1980. p. 66.
  21. ^ "Top Jazz Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 93. October 24, 1981. p. 39 – via American Radio History.
  22. ^ Leggett, Steve, "Stanley Turrentine - Tender Togetherness", Allmusic, retrieved 2023-07-02
  23. ^ Cooper, William, "Level 42 - Standing in the Light", Allmusic, retrieved 2023-07-02
  24. ^ "Level 42: Standing In The Light". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
  25. ^ Ronnie Laws: Mr. Nice Guy. Capitol Records. 1983.