Azar Lawrence (born November 3, 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his contributions as

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, and

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the 20th century's most important and influentia ...

Career

Lawrence released ''Summer Solstice'' on

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

in 1975, produced by

Orrin Keepnews Orrin Keepnews (March 2, 1923 – March 1, 2015) was an American jazz writer and record producer known for founding Riverside Records and Milestone Records, for freelance work, and for his work at other labels. Biography Early life Keepnews ...

. It featured

Raul de Souza Raul de Souza (23 August 1934 -– 23 June 2021), also known as Raulzinho, was a Brazilian trombonist who recorded with Sérgio Mendes, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, Milton Nascimento, Sonny Rollins, Hermeto Pascoal, Cal Tjader and the jazz/fusion ...

, Gerald Hayes, Amaury Tristão,

Dom Salvador Dom Salvador (born Salvador da Silva Filho in 1938) is a Brazilian pianist most notable for his Rio 65 Trio that featured the Brazilian jazz drummer Edison Machado and bassist Sergio Barrozo. His career spanned a wide variety of genres, but he i ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

Guilherme Franco Guilherme Franco (November 25, 1946 – November 12, 2016, in São Paulo, Brazil) was a percussionist in the jazz and world fusion music genres. Franco performed on the albums of many notable jazz musicians such as McCoy Tyner, Lonnie Liston Smit ...

on the songs "Novo Ano" and "Highway" which were composed by Amaury Tristão, and Lawrence, Souza,

Albert Dailey Albert Preston Dailey (June 16, 1939 – June 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Dailey was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Albert Preston Dailey Sr, and Gertrude Johnson Dailey.Jon Pareles"Albert Dailey, 46, Jazz P ...

, Carter and

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drumming, jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well as with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest (b ...

on all other selections. ''Bridge Into The New Age'' featured

Jean Carn Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins; March 15, 1947) is an American R&B/soul and jazz singer. In mid-career, she added a final ''e'' to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five-octave vocal range. Biography Carn ...

Ray Straughter Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...

Woody Murray Woody may refer to: Biology * Pertaining to wood, a plant tissue and material * Woody plant, a plant with a rigid stem containing wood * Pertaining to woodland, land covered with trees People and fictional characters * Woody (name), a list of pe ...

Clint Houston Clinton Joseph Houston (June 24, 1946 – June 7, 2000) was an American jazz double-bassist. Houston played with George Cables and Lenny White in the house band at Slug's, a club in New York City, then played with Nina Simone (1969), Roy Haynes ( ...

, Billy Hart, Guillerme Franco,

Julian Priester Julian Priester (born June 29, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist and occasional euphoniumist. He is sometimes credited "Julian Priester Pepo Mtoto". He has played with Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. Biog ...

Hadley Caliman Hadley Caliman (January 12, 1932 – September 8, 2010) was an American jazz saxophone and flute player.All ...

Black Arthur Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''Psyc ...

Joe Bonner Joe Bonner (April 20, 1948 – November 20, 2014) was an American jazz pianist. Influenced by McCoy Tyner and Art Tatum, he specialized in the hard bop and modal jazz styles. Biography Bonner was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and studied a ...

, John Heard,

Leon "Ndugu" Chancler Leon "Ndugu" Chancler ( ; July 1, 1952 – February 3, 2018) was an American pop, funk, and jazz drummer. He was also a composer, producer, and university professor. Biography Early life Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 1, 1952, Leon Cha ...

Mtume Mtume (pronounced ''em-tu-may'') was an American funk and soul group that rose to prominence during the early 1980s and had several R&B hits during its career. Its founder, former percussionist James Mtume, previously played and toured with Mil ...

and

Kenneth Nash Kenneth C. Nash (born 1964) is an American psychiatrist and professor who is certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He practices at the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, Dep ...

. ''People Moving'' featured

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...

Jerry Peters Jerry Peters is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor and arranger. He is best known for writing the hit songs " Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" and "Going In Circles" by The Friends of Distinction. Career Peters ...

, Michael Stanton,

John Rowin John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...

Paul Jackson, Jr. Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters. Life and career Mason was born and grew ...

, Ernest Straughter. Musician and screenwriter

Herbert Baker Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He was ...

taught music and mentored Lawrence, who recalled Baker as "one of the greatest pianists who ever lived."

Discography

As leader

* 1974: '' Bridge into the New Age'' (

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

) * 1975: ''Summer Solstice'' (Prestige) * 1976: ''People Moving'' (Prestige) * 1985: ''Shadow Dancing'' (Riza) * 2007: ''Legacy & Music of John Coltrane'' (Clarion Jazz) - with Edwin Bayard * 2008: ''Prayer For My Ancestors'' (Furthermore) - with Nate Morgan * 2009: ''Speak the Word'' (Zarman Productions) - with Nate Morgan * 2010: ''Mystic Journey'' (Furthermore) - with Eddie Henderson * 2014: ''The Seeker'' ( Sunnyside, recorded 2011) -with

Nicholas Payton Nicholas Payton (born September 26, 1973) is an American trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist. A Grammy Award winner, he is from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a writer who comments on subjects including music, race, politics, and life i ...

* 2015: ''Conduit'' (Intofocus) - with Al McLean * 2016: ''Frontiers'' (Cellar Live) - with Al McLean * 2018: ''Elementals'' ( HighNote) * 2022: ''New Sky'' (Trazer)

As sideman

With

Mulatu Astatke Mulatu Astatke (; French pronunciation: Astatqé; born 19 December 1943) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger considered as the father of "Ethio-jazz". Born in Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston where he ...

*''Timeless'' (2010, Mochilla) With

Henry Butler Henry Butler (September 21, 1948 – July 2, 2018) was an American jazz and blues pianist. He learned piano, drums, and saxophone in school. He received a college degree and graduate degree and taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative ...

*''Fivin' Around'' (1986, Impulse!/MCA) With

*''

Dark Magus ''Dark Magus'' is a live double album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 30, 1974, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, during the electric period in Davis' career. His group at the ti ...

'' (1977, Columbia, recorded 1974) With

Henry Franklin Henry "Skipper" Franklin (born Henry Carl Franklin on October 1, 1940) is an American jazz double bassist. Career Franklin played on Hugh Masekela's 1968 number one single, "Grazing in the Grass," as well as with Masekela's band at the Monte ...

*''If We Should Meet Again'' (2007, Skipper Productions) *''O, What A Beautiful Morning!'' (2008, Skipper Productions) *''Home Cookin (2009, Skipper Productions) With

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds tri ...

*''

In a Special Way ''In a Special Way'' is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 23, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood; written and produced by lead voca ...

'' (1976, Blue Note) With

*''

Bundle of Joy ''Bundle of Joy'' is a 1956 American Technicolor musical film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds (who were married in real-life at the time) and Adolphe Menjou. It is a remake of the 1939 comedy film '' Bachelo ...

'' (1977, Columbia) With

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

*'' New Agenda'' (1975, Vanguard) With Franklin Kiermyer * ''Further'' (2014, Mobility Music) With

*'' The Moontrane'' (1974, Muse) With

The 360 Degree Music Experience The 360 Degree Music Experience was an American band that performed both traditional and experimental jazz. Active during the 1970s and '80s, the group was initially co-led by drummer Beaver Harris and the pianist Dave Burrell. After Burrell lef ...

*'' In: Sanity'' (1976, Black Saint) With

*''

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

'' (1973, Milestone) *'' Sama Layuca'' (1974, Milestone) *''

Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...

'' (1974, Milestone) With Harry Whitaker *''Black Renaissance'' (1976, Bay State/Ubiquity) With Eden Atwood *''Like Someone in Love'' (2010, Sinatra Society of Japan)

References

External links

Website of Azar Lawrence
*
Azar Lawrence video interview at allaboutjazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Azar 1952 births Living people American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Musicians from California Prestige Records artists 21st-century American saxophonists American male jazz musicians 21st-century American male musicians HighNote Records artists Sunnyside Records artists