Azar Lawrence: Turn The Music Up
I first became aware of Azar Lawrence as a leading exponent of spiritual jazz through his early 70s period with McCoy Tyner. When work became scarce for jazz players, he joined backing bands for Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind & Fire. Today he’s a member of straightahead supergroup The Cookers. His new album looks back at his first two albums, 1974’s Bridge Into The New Age and 1975’s Summer Solstice. He includes a track from McCoy Tyner’s Atlantis, and The Creator Has A Master Plan from the repertoire of his late friend Pharoah Sanders.
Lawrence’s ensemble is the very capable combination of trumpeter Brian Swartz, guitarist Taka Mori, pianist/keyboardist Robert Turner, bassist Gerald Brown, drummer Yayo Morales and vocalist Lynne Fiddmont. The album features two compositions by Brazilian composer and guitarist Amaury Tristao: Highway and Novo Ano, both of which appeared on Lawrence’s album Summer Solstice. The Creator Has A Master Plan currently has renewed popularity, with versions by vocalists Tyreek McDole and Ekep Nkwelle.
For some writers, the power of his septet, with four additional guests, overpowers its spirituality. I’m not sure about this. I certainly agree that in art often “less is more”. But the music on this album is delightful, so I hesitate to criticise. I’m not a fan of the scatting on Highway and elsewhere, or the fade ending to Atlantis. So – maybe not Azar Lawrence’s greatest work, but very worthwhile.
Discography
Highway; Novo Ano; Atlantis; Lost Tribes Of Lemuria; The Creator Has A Master Plan; Fatisha; Summer Solstice (50.02)
Lawrence (ts, ss); Brian Swartz (t); Taka Mori (g); Robert Turner (kyb); Gerald Brown (b); Yayo Morales (d); Lynne Fiddmont (v). Venice, CA, 2024-5.
Trazar Records
Wadada Leo Smith: Constellations And Hemispheres
This is one of Wadada Leo Smith’s more knotty and involved offerings, I’d say, with much post-production creativity. The trumpeter is joined by a core group of vibraphonist Bobby Naughton, bassists Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs and drummer Pheeroan akLaff, supplemented on some tracks by guitarist Lamar Smith, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, drummer Marcus Gilmore and percussionists Brian Jarawa Gray and Mauro Refosco. The material comes from several sessions and has been combined through extensive studio work.
Most of the pieces remain within one particular ensemble configuration, but the central 22-minute suite, Dark Matter, Particles Of Light, Mirror of the Unseen, moves between trio and octet settings. Continuing the strategy of Fire Illuminations from 2023, Smith juxtaposes contrasting musical environments.
The trumpeter is 85, but hardly sounds it. He emerged in the late 1960s, as an original voice on trumpet. Later he was a central figure in AACM. He belongs to the post-Miles Davis tradition that’s been long dominant, and his tone is beautifully cloudy when muted. Like his contemporary Anthony Braxton, Smith is prolific, so it’s best to be selective in approaching his work. Among those works that stress his compositional side, this recording is highly recommended – for his more improvisational side, I’d recommend last year’s Angel Falls, with Sylvie Courvoisier, on Intakt.
Discography
Dark Energy; Lake Tanganyika; Dark Matter, Particles Of Light, Mirror Of The Unseen (22-minute suite); Deep Canyons On Mars; Meditation On Love (59.11)
Smith (t); Sylvie Courvoisier (p); Marcus Gilmore (d); Bobby Naughton (vib); Lamar Smith (g); Bill Laswell (b); Melvin Gibbs (b); Mauro Refosco, Brian Jawara Gray (perc); Pheeroan akLaff (d). New Haven, CT, 2017-22.
Burning Ambulance 0785104731547
