Larry Klein

• Genres: Rock
• Instrument: Producer, Bass

Biography

Best known as the longtime producer and bassist behind wife Joni Mitchell, Larry Klein began his career during the late 1970s as a noted jazz accompanist, most notably appearing on a series of releases from Freddie Hubbard. He first teamed with Mitchell to record her 1982 LP Wild Things Run Fast, becoming her husband that same year; Klein became her producer with the 1985 album Dog Eat Dog, an album which also heralded the beginning of his exploration of synthesizers and contemporary programming techniques. His work with Mitchell also led to high-profile sessions with Don Henley (1984's Building the Perfect Beast), Peter Gabriel (1986's So) and Robbie Robertson (his long-awaited 1987 solo debut), as well as productions for ex-Cars bassist Benjamin Orr (1986's The Lace) and the Innocence Mission (their eponymous 1989 debut). Klein's third record with Mitchell, Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm, appeared in 1988; Night Ride Home followed in 1992. In the process of recording 1994's Turbulent Indigo, the couple's marriage dissolved; Klein subsequently went on to work with Holly Cole and Mary Black, and also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1996 film Grace of My Heart. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide