Playing to the Tune of Links

An interview with Larry Warrilow

Larry Warrilow is a long-time Links player and Links Tour member who also happens to be an accomplished Jazz musician.

Links Country Club: Can you give me a little background about yourself?

Larry Warrilow: I'm one of the older Links players at the age of 58. I came into the music business from a physics background in school over 35 years ago.

LCC: What got you started playing jazz music?

LW: I started out playing pop music as a guitarist, but was lucky enough to have run with some talented and informed jazz players from the start. They pointed me in the right directions as to what to study if I ever wanted to play or write in the style. My function on our recent release "Jaco Pastorius Big Band: Word of Mouth Revisited" was that of principal arranger. I was responsible for seven of the twelve tracks the band recorded

LCC: Who or what are some of your influences and favorite musicians?

LW: As an arranger, I admire the work of Oliver Nelson, Billy Byers, Duke
Ellington-Billy Strayhorn, Gil Evans, and a number of others. A list of
players would go on way too long.

LCC: Do you have any new projects you're working on at the moment?

LW: They're talking about another JPBB recording, but that's down the road. Meanwhile everybody is back to making a living doing the mundane but necessary everyday things we do in music production.

LCC: What started your interest in Links?

LW: My introduction to Links came as bait by a friend to get me to unpack a Mac computer I had sitting in my living room in boxes for two years back in '94. She loaded it in her own computer and coaxed her son and I to start playing. I was hooked immediately.

LCC: You seem pretty active on the Links Tour. How often would you say you play in a given week?

LW: I played a lot more on the tour up to three years ago, when I had to wait for a machine upgrade to handle Links 2001. Now I can't seem to get in more than one event a week. I do play a few recreational rounds each week at various real world APCD courses, which constitute one of the great resources of links.

LCC: You do pretty well too, with a 6-under average in the Champ/Click Division. What would you say is the best way for a player to help improve his/her game?

LW: Once someone has a good understanding of the game and has a tactical method that reduces the damage [inevitable] mistakes will cause, it boils down to playing a lot. Your putting will improve in a direct relation to how often you play, and putting well consistently is what produces good scoring.

LCC: What is more relaxing for you - playing music or playing Links?

LW: I have a fairly sane attitude as to what to expect from my own game, since I can't play much, so Links is definitely more relaxing than actually playing music.

LCC: When you're not writing/recording music or playing Links, what else do you enjoy?

LW: I enjoy listening to classical music, chamber music mostly, and have had a particular interest in the string quartets of Milhaud, Villa-Lobos, and Shostakovich. I also read a lot, history mostly, but have a certain guilty pleasure gobbling up mysteries.

LCC: Can you give us a run-down of the albums you've worked on so we can go out and give 'em a listen!?

LW: I've worked on countless pop records in the capacity as a music copyist, but this JPBB release was for most of us a personal piece of work because many of us actually worked with Jaco those many years ago. We thought those days, as much fun and rewarding as they were, are now part of jazz music history. It's come as a pleasant surprise that the music has aged so well, and that Jaco's work is as alive now with present generation of bassists, as it was astounding to his contemporaries

LCC: Anything else you would like to share?

LW: Thanks for letting me share, and fairways and greens to all

For more information on Jaco Pastorius and the album Larry worked on, visit the Official web site, http://www.jacopastorius.com/

If you or someone you know has an interesting story to tell, let us know about it! Send them to linkscc@microsoft.com.