by Robert Taylor

Sleepwalk is slightly better than Strikes Twice thanks in part to the absence of Larry Carlton's toneless singing. "Last Nite" and "10:00 P.M." have become staples in Carlton's live set. The legendary Carlton feel is evident throughout this session, but "Blues Bird" stands as the high-water mark. "Sleepwalk" is played beautifully, almost preventing the listener from noticing the sap-heavy strings in the background. Carlton's faceless rhythm section does little to enhance the music (as is usually the case with his solo efforts), but his playing more than makes up for this. Despite sounding a bit dated, this is still worth exploring, especially for guitarists.