Sax Legend, Azar Lawrence in collaboration with Long Beach, California's Seabird Jazz Lounge; are bringing world class straight ahead jazz artist on Saturday nights throughout the year to perform authentic classical jazz.
Azar Lawrence Quintet - Azar Lawrence, tenor & soprano saxes; special guest - George Bohanon, trombone; Roy McCurdy, drums; feat. Theo Saunders, piano & Jeff Littleton, bass
A tenor saxophonist squarely in the post-Coltrane continuum, still best recognized for his prolific output in the 1970s, Azar Lawrence blowing stronger than ever and is still on the circuit. Since his career in Jazz began circa 1970's; at age nineteen, Sax legend Azar Lawrence has had a free-thinking approach to music. One of the most powerful and distinctive of all post-Coltrane tenorists, Lawrence was born 1952 in Los Angeles and by the age of 21 had worked with Ike & Tina Turner, War, and Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Band ("Express Yourself").
He released seven albums as a leader, and has had his songs recorded by Stanley Turrentine, Woody Shaw and Earth Wind & Fire, among others. And he worked with Boston, and Frank Zappa.
Met by critical acclaim in 2010 Azar released Mystic Journey (Furthermore Recordings). The saying goes that Azar is a direct descendant of John Coltrane via his years with McCoy Tyner. And on Mystic Journey it would be the final recording date played by Rashied Ali, the powerful drummer of Coltrane's late period.
Since the early 2000's, the consummate artist has returned full force to his post-Bob Jazz roots. Lawrence's distinctive sound embodies a deep spirituality, which can be heard on Tyner's "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit", and his own numerous recordings on Prestige. His co-production of his latest CD; with Seth Abramson, Grammy Winner and Artistic Director for the Jazz Standard in New York The Seeker; made it on the 2014 ballot for a Grammy nomination consideration; and next up Azar Lawrence's soon to be released new CD 'Elementals;' promises to be another red hot presentation to be submitted by the ever burning! saxist guru.....
Hs current Oeuvre never missing a beat, Azar Lawrence's shows sparkle with virtuosity, and vivid ideas and textures. To the discerning listener, Lawrence's depth can only be attributed to one who has 'been there'. And 'there' he most definitely was.
Ben Ratliff of the New York Times, recently had this to say about Azar,
'To hear Mr. Lawrence upshift through his improvisations, honoring a song's rhythm and harmony and then breaking free of it, is one of jazz's current thrills, and he understands this music as well as anyone.' Ben Ratliff, New York Times, December 6, 2014
National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded George Bohanon the "Most Valuable Player" award in 1980. His evolution as a jazz musician has put him in the company of Kenny Burrell, Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris, and Donald Bird, to name a few. He was also a member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet with Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo in the early 1960s.
Born in Detroit Michigan, Bohanon began playing trombone at the age of eight. He attended Northwestern High School, Wayne State University, and the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts, where he decided to pursue a career as a musician. Some of his greatest influences were J. J. Johnson, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.
Motown Records hired Bohanon as their first trombonist, a position he held for some seven years, accompanying artists such as Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and many more. In 1968 Bohanon moved to Los Angeles and became very active in the jazz and recording studio scenes. In addition to his position with the UCLA Jazz Studies Program, he is also a music contractor, a signatory to the American Federation of Musicians, a music publisher, writer, arranger, producer, clinician, and performer.
Roy McCurdy will probably always be best-known for his important contributions to Cannonball Adderley's Quintet (1965-1975), but he has been a tasteful and stimulating participant in many other sessions through the years. In 1960 he joined the Art Farmer Benny Golson Jazztet and remained for two years. Early on, he worked with Chuck and Gap Mangione in the Jazz Brothers (1960-1961). McCurdy also gained recognition with Sonny Rollins before joining Adderley. After Adderley''s death, McCurdy moved to the Los Angeles area, where he has played and recorded with the top local musicians ever since.
McCurdy counts among his influences Louie Bellson, Shelly Manne, Sam Woodyard, Buddy Rich, 'Papa' Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones and the bands of Duke Ellington, Jimmy Lunceford and Lionel Hampton. He' has performed on between 150 and 200 recordings. The list of greats that McCurdy has played with includes Count Basie, Wes Montgomery, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Joe Williams, Herbie Hancock, Milt Jackson, Oscar Peterson and Bud Powell. Roy has also played with Art Pepper, John Heard, Ron McCurdy, Jackie Ryan, Joe Zawinal, Blood, Sweat and Tears, etc.
A native New Yorker, Theo Saunders has lived in California since 1985, but his musical career remains international in scope. Saunders' musical odyssey has taken him to four continents and more than twenty countries. Growing up in NYC, he played with Pharoah Sanders in the 1960s, and in 1971 (at age 24), at the Village Vanguard with the likes of Jimmy Garrison and Jack DeJohnette in a group led by guitarist Sonny Greenwich. Appearing on more than 40 recordings as a sideman, he has accompanied everyone from Sonny Fortune and Charles Lloyd to Freddie Hubbard and Ray Mantilla, and has six recordings as a leader.
He has performed in many of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals, concert halls and night clubs, with distinguished jazz artists including: Azar Lawrence, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, , Joe Lovano, Jimmy Garrison, Sonny Fortune, Reggie Workman, Curtis Fuller, Rashied Ali, Mike Stern, Alphonse Mouzon, Mike Clark, David Weiss, Ernie Andrews, George Bohanon, and others.
His diverse musical activities have included musical director for opera and dance productions, for cabaret singers, and international musical theatre. He has played with many well known Latin, R&B, and rock artists, including Claudio Roditi, Victor Brasil, Ray Mantilla, Willie Bobo, Bobby Matos, Raul De Souza, Ray Armando,Claudio Caribe, Guillerme Franco, Bobby Rodriguez, Gladys Knight and the Four Tops.
As a composer, Theo has numerous jazz & rock compositions to his credit as well as original scores for dance, theatre, radio and multimedia production.
One of the most versatile and in demand bassists on the West Coast, Jeff Littleton has performed with a virtual who's who of top jazz artist including Nancy Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Crawford, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Higgins, Harold Land, Bobby Hutchinson and a long list of top musicians.
Doors open 9p, Show Time 9:30p - 12:30a - Free parking @ Roscoe's House of Chicken 'N Waffles.
Video - youtube.com/watch?v=-kLfaDXtDe8
Event Flyer - azarlawrence.com/SB9.26.jpg
Press - nytimes.com/2014/06/28/arts/music/azar-lawrence-quintet-focuses-on-the-seeker.html?_r=0
Hi-Res Photo - azarlawrence.com/Zar2fb.jpg
Websites
azarlawrence.com
georgebohanon.com
music.usc.edu/roy-mccurdy/
theosaunders.com
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