Larry Van Kriedt
Encyclopedia
Larry Van Kriedt was the first bassist
with rock band AC/DC
. He was recruited at the time of the group's formation in 1973, joining Malcolm Young
(rhythm guitar), Angus Young
(lead guitar), Dave Evans
(lead vocals) and Colin Burgess (drums). Van Kriedt also played occasional saxophone
.
musician David van Kriedt
who composed, arranged played and recorded with such giants as Dave Brubeck
, Paul Desmond
, Stan Kenton
and many more. All of Larry’s life has been centred around music, particularly jazz. He began playing the double bass
at age 9, guitar at 12, and added saxophone and vocals to the list at 15. He studied jazz, harmony, composition and musical arrangement with his father.
In 1969, at age 15 his family moved to Sydney
, Australia where he met Angus Young
shortly after arrival. He started hanging out with Angus and his brother, Malcolm Young
. Larry is described as being an accomplished jazz-influenced guitarist during this period. One of his first studio sessions was as the bassist in the original line-up of AC/DC
in 1973.
was fired. It was then decided that the role of bass player would be filled by Malcolm Young or older brother George Young until a more permanent solution could be found. That solution arrived in the form of Mark Evans
in March 1975. Van Kriedt is also the only member in the group's history to be born in the US.
, Afram, The LPs, and The Larry Van Kriedt Quartet. He has written and recorded songs that have been successful in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S. and Europe, and has worked in North Africa and toured all over the world.
From 1997 to 1999 he lived in Morocco
, working there as a musician with his band Afram doing radio, television and concerts such as the first Gnawa Festival in Essaouira
in 1998, and raising money for the charity, B.A.Y.T.I. After leaving Morocco he travelled the world busking
, that is, playing jazz on the street from London to Provence to Sydney. This was when he started making backing tracks of jazz standards.
In 2002 Van Kriedt pioneered the first online downloadable jazz playalong backing track e-business, Jazzbacks.com.
In 2007 he worked with Paul Agbakoba in The LPs.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
with rock band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. He was recruited at the time of the group's formation in 1973, joining Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
(rhythm guitar), Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
(lead guitar), Dave Evans
Dave Evans (singer)
Dave Evans is an Australian singer best known as the original lead singer of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1973-1974.-AC/DC:...
(lead vocals) and Colin Burgess (drums). Van Kriedt also played occasional saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
Early life
Multi-instrumental Larry was born in San Francisco into a musical family. His father was the renowned jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician David van Kriedt
David van Kriedt
David van Kriedt was a composer, saxophonist and music teacher....
who composed, arranged played and recorded with such giants as Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
, Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...
, Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
and many more. All of Larry’s life has been centred around music, particularly jazz. He began playing the double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
at age 9, guitar at 12, and added saxophone and vocals to the list at 15. He studied jazz, harmony, composition and musical arrangement with his father.
In 1969, at age 15 his family moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia where he met Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
shortly after arrival. He started hanging out with Angus and his brother, Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young
Malcolm Young is a Scottish-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, along with the other members of AC/DC...
. Larry is described as being an accomplished jazz-influenced guitarist during this period. One of his first studio sessions was as the bassist in the original line-up of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
in 1973.
With AC/DC
Van Kriedt was with the band for around four months, and after his departure in February 1974 he was replaced by Neil Smith. AC/DC employed a succession of bass players over the following few months, and Van Kriedt returned for a few days in January 1975 after Rob BaileyRob Bailey (musician)
Rob Bailey is a former bassist with the rock band AC/DC. He joined the band in April 1974, joining Malcolm Young , Angus Young , Dave Evans and Peter Clack ....
was fired. It was then decided that the role of bass player would be filled by Malcolm Young or older brother George Young until a more permanent solution could be found. That solution arrived in the form of Mark Evans
Mark Evans (musician)
Mark Whitmore Evans is an Australian bass guitarist who was an early member of hard rock band AC/DC from March 1975 to June 1977. His playing featured on their albums T.N.T, High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Let There Be Rock and 74 Jailbreak...
in March 1975. Van Kriedt is also the only member in the group's history to be born in the US.
After AC/DC
Van Kriedt has played many different styles of music and has been involved with making many albums both as an artist and as a producer, and to this day he owns and operates his own recording studio. Bands Van Kriedt was a member of include: The Eighty Eights, Non Stop Dancers, Def FXDef FX
Def FX was an Australian industrial-dance-rock group, formed in Sydney. The core of the group was keyboardist and vocalist Sean Lowry and vocalist Fiona Horne ....
, Afram, The LPs, and The Larry Van Kriedt Quartet. He has written and recorded songs that have been successful in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S. and Europe, and has worked in North Africa and toured all over the world.
From 1997 to 1999 he lived in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, working there as a musician with his band Afram doing radio, television and concerts such as the first Gnawa Festival in Essaouira
Essaouira
Mogador redirects here, for the hamlet in Surrey see Mogador, Surrey.Essaouira is a city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. Since the 16th century, the city has also been known by its Portuguese name of Mogador or Mogadore...
in 1998, and raising money for the charity, B.A.Y.T.I. After leaving Morocco he travelled the world busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
, that is, playing jazz on the street from London to Provence to Sydney. This was when he started making backing tracks of jazz standards.
In 2002 Van Kriedt pioneered the first online downloadable jazz playalong backing track e-business, Jazzbacks.com.
In 2007 he worked with Paul Agbakoba in The LPs.
External links
- AC/DC
- http://www.jazzbacks.com
- http://www.soulbacks.com