# L.A. Express

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American jazz fusion ensemble

For other uses, see [Los Angeles Express](/source/Los_Angeles_Express_(disambiguation)).

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**The L.A. Express** was an American [jazz fusion](/source/Jazz_fusion) ensemble. Members of L.A. Express played on several [Joni Mitchell](/source/Joni_Mitchell) [albums](/source/Album), namely *[Court and Spark](/source/Court_and_Spark)*, *[The Hissing of Summer Lawns](/source/The_Hissing_of_Summer_Lawns)* and the live album *[Miles of Aisles](/source/Miles_of_Aisles)* between 1974 and 1975.[1][2]

The band also had two jazz [instrumental](/source/Instrumental) albums on their own – *L.A. Express* (1976), and *Shadow Play* (1976). The latter featured backing vocals and cover art by Mitchell. Both albums were recorded at [James Guercio](/source/James_William_Guercio)'s [Caribou Ranch](/source/Caribou_Ranch) [studio](/source/Recording_studio) and were the first albums released on the [Caribou](/source/Caribou_Records) [label](/source/Record_label).

The L.A. Express formed in 1973 as the backing band for jazz saxophonist [Tom Scott](/source/Tom_Scott_(saxophonist)).[2]

The original lineup included bassist [Max Bennett](/source/Max_Bennett_(musician)), drummer [John Guerin](/source/John_Guerin), guitarist [Larry Carlton](/source/Larry_Carlton), and keyboardist [Joe Sample](/source/Joe_Sample) (the latter two were also members of the group [The Crusaders](/source/The_Crusaders_(Houston_group))). They recorded the album *[Tom Scott and The L.A. Express](/source/Tom_Scott_and_The_L.A._Express)*, as well as a number of tracks on Joni Mitchell's *[Court and Spark](/source/Court_and_Spark)* album in 1974 with this lineup, before both Carlton and Sample left the group.[2] [Robben Ford](/source/Robben_Ford) replaced Carlton as guitarist and [Larry Nash](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Larry_Nash&action=edit&redlink=1) took over as the group's keyboardist.

After attending a Joni Mitchell concert in London in April 1974 and being impressed by the sound of her backing band, [George Harrison](/source/George_Harrison) invited the group to his home at [Friar Park](/source/Friar_Park), where they recorded the basic tracks for "[Hari's on Tour (Express)](/source/Hari's_on_Tour_(Express))" and "[Simply Shady](/source/Simply_Shady)", which were released in December of that year as the first and second tracks, respectively, on Harrison's *[Dark Horse](/source/Dark_Horse_(George_Harrison_album))* album.[3]

The group also performed the score to the 1974 [adult animated](/source/Adult_animated) [comedy film](/source/Comedy_film) *[The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat](/source/The_Nine_Lives_of_Fritz_the_Cat)*.

With Ford and Nash on board, Tom Scott and the L.A. Express recorded the *Tom Cat* album in late 1974 (released on Ode Records in early 1975). In *[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide%3A_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)* (1981), [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) dismissed it as "[background music](/source/Background_music) without the foreground. It doesn't [swing](/source/Swing_(jazz_performance_style)), it doesn't rock—it hops."[4] After the release of *Tom Cat*, Scott left the group and began recording solo.

The group recorded their first album without Scott in 1976 – the self-titled *L.A. Express*, which had as cover art a close-up of a belt buckle embossed with the band's name (simply "L.A. Express"), similar to one reading "Tom Scott & the L.A. Express" which was worn by a model on the cover of their first album with Scott. Later in the same year they recorded *Shadow Play*, which included several popular jazz tracks played on jazz radio well into the early 1980s.

On the first of these two albums keyboardist Larry Nash was replaced by [Victor Feldman](/source/Victor_Feldman), and David Luell played saxophone and woodwinds. Robben Ford left the group prior to the recording of *Shadow Play* and was replaced by guitarist Peter Maunu.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["L.A. Express – Biography & History – AllMusic"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/la-express-mn0000992564). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved September 16, 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-joni9-12-2011_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-joni9-12-2011_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-joni9-12-2011_2-2) Blackburn, Dave (September 12, 2011). ["A Conversation with Max Bennett"](http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2418). jonimitchell.com. Retrieved September 3, 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Spizer, Bruce (2005). *The Beatles Solo on Apple Records*. p. 264. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9662649-5-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9662649-5-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CG_4-0)** [Christgau, Robert](/source/Robert_Christgau) (1981). ["Consumer Guide '70s: S"](https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=S&bk=70). *[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide%3A_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)*. [Ticknor & Fields](/source/Ticknor_%26_Fields). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [089919026X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/089919026X). Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

v t e Tom Scott Albums The Honeysuckle Breeze (1967) Rural Still Life (1968) Tom Scott and The L.A. Express (1974) New York Connection (1975) Blow It Out (1977) Desire (1982) Related articles The Blues Brothers L.A. Express GRP All-Star Big Band

v t e Joni Mitchell Discography Studio albums Song to a Seagull (1968) Clouds (1969) Ladies of the Canyon (1970) Blue (1971) For the Roses (1972) Court and Spark (1974) The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) Hejira (1976) Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977) Mingus (1979) Wild Things Run Fast (1982) Dog Eat Dog (1985) Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988) Night Ride Home (1991) Turbulent Indigo (1994) Taming the Tiger (1998) Both Sides Now (2000) Travelogue (2002) Shine (2007) Live albums Miles of Aisles Shadows and Light Amchitka, The 1970 Concert That Launched Greenpeace Joni Mitchell at Newport Compilation albums Hits Misses The Beginning of Survival Dreamland Songs of a Prairie Girl Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, a Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced Joni's Jazz Archives series Box sets Volume 1: The Early Years (1963–1967) The Reprise Albums (1968–1971) Volume 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971) The Asylum Albums (1972–1975) Volume 3: The Asylum Years (1972–1975) The Asylum Albums (1976–1980) Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980) Auxiliary releases Early Joni – 1963 Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes) Live albums Live at Canterbury House – 1967 Live at Carnegie Hall – 1969 Singles "Chelsea Morning" "Big Yellow Taxi" "Carey" "California" "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" "Raised on Robbery" "Help Me" "Free Man in Paris" "In France They Kiss on Main Street" "Coyote" "My Secret Place" Notable songs "Both Sides, Now" "The Fiddle and the Drum" "Woodstock" "The Circle Game" "Little Green" "Blue" "This Flight Tonight" "River" "A Case of You" "The Last Time I Saw Richard" "Down to You" "Twisted" "Two Grey Rooms" Tribute albums Back to the Garden River: The Joni Letters A Tribute to Joni Mitchell Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration Related articles L.A. Express Blackface controversy Category

v t e Robben Ford Studio albums Schizophonic (1976) The Inside Story (1979) Talk to Your Daughter (1988) Mystic Mile (1993) Blues Connotation (1997) Tiger Walk (1997) Truth (2007) Into the Sun (2015) Live albums Sunrise (1999) Soul on Ten (2008) Related articles L.A. Express Yellowjackets

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