Larry Young

Larry Young (or Khalid Yasin, his adopted Islamic name) (1940–1978) was an American jazz organist, known for his pioneering sound on the Hammond organ. He is considered one of the most important jazz organists of all time and one of the founders of fusion. Starting his career as a teenager, Young is one of the few musicians who worked and innovated in many jazz genres, from soul-jazz and hard-bop, with collaborations such as Grant Green, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, etc., to psychedelic rock and collaborations with Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix. When jazz-rock began to take shape, Young was once again at the forefront, playing with greats such as Miles Davis (on Bitches Brew), Tony Williams, and John McLaughlin. His solo album Unity (1966) is considered a classic Blue Note work. Despite his untimely death, he left a strong legacy in modern jazz.