On easy terms with the folks in the folding chairs as he reminisced about cutting class in high school so he could play with Elvin and McCoy, Azar Lawrence channeled the waters of saxophone history they had come to imbibe.
As usual, Lawrence sailed a few miles dowstream from John Coltrane, beginning on talkative soprano sax and ending on prayerful tenor. Pianist Robert Turner, a true member of the rhythm section, recalled Trane mainstay McCoy Tyner in his pounding, open chordal accompaniments, but not in his choice of friendly harmonies. Turner clustered the keys nicely on Coltrane's "Aisha" and laid on the '70s synth strings for Lawrence's soul strut "Ain't No Doubt About It." Drummer Tony Austin and electric bassist Weldon Scott slapped down African grooves suitable for sun-floating down the Nile on an air mattress. And guitarist Dennis Nelson's guitar splashed exciting colors of psychedelia, funk and smooth urbanity all over the place; having him onboard was a big plus.
Lawrence neglected no part of his masterful tenor vocabulary, from squeals to extended expostulations, but one time he forsook his usual cutting tone to lavish special sensitivity on an ambling ballad introduced by Arabic desert wanderings -- sentimental in the best way. He's a true jewel of the L.A. community with a long history and enormous versatility. Catch him sometime.
By way of tradition, series booker Dwight Trible moaned a creatively re-rhythmatized "The Creator Has a Master Plan" to close the concert and the World Stage year. Sort of like "Auld Lang Syne" a few weeks early.
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Watch this concert here.
Contribute to the World Stage here.
Read Greg Burk's 2008 interview with Azar Lawrence here.