Up Close With a Classic Larry Carlton Revives Don’t Take Me Alive at Iridium NYC
On October 18, 2019, the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City hosted a performance that many attendees would later describe as unforgettable. Larry Carlton, one of the most respected guitarists in modern music history, brought renewed life to Don’t Take Me Alive, a song forever associated with his work alongside Steely Dan. In the intimate setting of Iridium, the performance transcended a standard live rendition and became a vivid encounter with musical history.
Don’t Take Me Alive first appeared on Steely Dan’s 1976 album The Royal Scam, a record known for its sharp storytelling and uncompromising studio standards. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were famously exacting producers, particularly when it came to guitar parts. Numerous session players passed through Steely Dan recordings, often dismissed if they failed to meet expectations within a few takes. Against this backdrop, the story of Larry Carlton’s contribution has taken on near mythical status. Carlton has recalled that the striking opening guitar solo of Don’t Take Me Alive was recorded in a remarkably short amount of time, stunning both Fagen and Becker. In a studio environment defined by endless revisions, his performance stood immediately as the definitive statement.
That legacy was fully present at Iridium. Carlton’s tone, driven through his amplifier at close range, filled the small club with a physical intensity rarely experienced in larger venues. With a capacity of roughly 180 people, Iridium allowed the audience to witness every nuance of his playing from only a few feet away. Fans later described the sensation as overwhelming in the best sense, with the vibration of each note resonating through the room and creating a visceral response that recordings can never fully capture.
Musically, the performance balanced fidelity to the original recording with the authority of a master revisiting his own work decades later. Carlton did not rely on nostalgia alone. His phrasing remained precise, his attack confident, and his control of dynamics deeply expressive. The tension embedded in Don’t Take Me Alive, a song built on paranoia and confrontation, unfolded naturally through his playing, proving that its emotional power remains undiminished.
What made the night particularly compelling was the sense of proximity, not only physical but historical. Audience members were not simply hearing a classic song performed well. They were witnessing the same musician who helped define its sound, delivering it with the wisdom and restraint earned through a lifetime of performance.
The October 18, 2019 rendition of Don’t Take Me Alive at Iridium stands as a testament to Larry Carlton’s enduring artistry. It affirmed that even decades after its creation, great music can feel immediate, dangerous, and alive when placed back into the hands of the artist who first gave it voice.