Azar Lawrence Quartet feat. Nick Smith, Piano; Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Drums; Jeff Littleton, Bass & Guest Vocalist, Dwight Trible
Seabird Jazz Lounge, 730 E. Broadway, Long Beach, Ca 562.787.0899, Doors open 7:30p Show Time 9p - 12:30a Cover $15, Free Parking @ Roscoe's
AZAR LAWRENCE
One of the most powerful and distinctive of all post'Coltrane tenorists, Azar Lawrence has been a sometimes quiet force in music for over three decades. Born in 1952 in Los Angeles by the age of 21 he had worked with Ike & Tina Turner, War, and Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Band ('Express Yourself')....
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Azar Lawrence Quartet feat. Nick Smith, Piano; Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Drums; Jeff Littleton, Bass & Guest Vocalist, Dwight Trible
Seabird Jazz Lounge, 730 E. Broadway, Long Beach, Ca 562.787.0899, Doors open 7:30p Show Time 9p - 12:30a Cover $15, Free Parking @ Roscoe's
AZAR LAWRENCE
One of the most powerful and distinctive of all post'Coltrane tenorists, Azar Lawrence has been a sometimes quiet force in music for over three decades. Born in 1952 in Los Angeles by the age of 21 he had worked with Ike & Tina Turner, War, and Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Band ('Express Yourself').
At an early age, Azar Lawrence left his mark on Jazz. Hired by drummer Elvin Jones when he was just 19, the prodigious young saxophonist would be tapped soon after by McCoy Tyner to fill the large shoes of collaborator John Coltrane. Throughout the '70's, Lawrence recorded with Tyner, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.
Like his contemporaries Herbie Hancock and Charles Lloyd, Lawrence forayed into pop music, recording with Earth Wind & Fire, Frank Zappa and Marvin Gaye. 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.
Within the past six years, he's performed, written, and produced four CD's; Mystic Journey, 2010 (Mystic Journey received over five Bests of 2010), Prayer For My Ancestors, (Prayer was given honorable mention for Best of 2009, AllAboutJazz/New York) Speak The Word, 2008 and he also lead and co-produced a live tribute album, Legacy and Music of John Coltrane, in 2006.
His current Oeuvre doesn't miss a beat, with frequent New York and Los Angeles shows that 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.
In New York December 2011at the Jazz Standard Azar performed with a powerful rhythm section comprised of Nicholas Payton, Trumpet; Jeff "Tain" Watts, drums; Benito Gonzalez, piano and Essiet Okon Essiet on bass.
Of that evening Nate Chinen of the New York Times said about Azar, "he played as if plugging into a life force. He seemed committed to the idea of the self as a vessel; those winds were whipping through him."
The result of that show was seven new compositions by Azar Lawrence, to be titled, Azar Lawrence 'The Seeker' - Live at the Jazz Standard'. 'The Seeker', co-produced by Grammy winner, Seth Abramson and Azar Lawrence is a slice of a continuum of the path of knowledge and truth that Azar has been on since his earliest days in the music.
NICK SMITH
Nick Smith, former keyboardist with the Tonight Show Band was the musical director and keyboardist for Grammy-winning artist Stanley Clarke for ten years. Nick has toured with various artists including Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, Kenny Garrett, Michel Polnareff, Kirk Whalum, and Marcus Miller.
Nick, an alumnus of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, has scored for film and TV. Some of the movie projects include Brown Sugar, Eddie, and Sprung. In 2004, Nick released an independent Jazz CD project titled It's Like That. The CD features Stanley Clarke, Dennis Chambers and David Sanchez. Nick is currently working on new projects.
JEFF LITTLETON
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 artists including Nancy Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Crawford, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Higgins. Harold Land, Bobby Hutchinson and a long list of renowned musicians. He released The Littleton Brothers | Collage with Bobby Watson.
MARVIN "SMITTY" SMITH
Marvin 'Smitty' Smith is featured on more than 45 albums with a veritable list of additional performances and recordings that are augmented with names like Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison. Marvin's playing credits include top notables in music like Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Art Farmer, Benny Golson Slide Hampton, and Milt Jackson. A member for many years of the Tonight Show Band Marvin has played with the Buddy Holland Band, Wallace Roney, Sting, Mulgrew Miller and a substantial list of others.
DWIGHT TRIBLE
Dwight Trible is a singer who combines the best of vocal virtuosity with musicianship and improvisational skills to the delight of audiences and musicians alike. In addition to performing with his own group, the Dwight Trible Ensemble, Dwight is the vocalist with the Pharaoh Sanders Quartet and is also the vocal director for the Horace Tapscott Pan Afrikan Peoples' Arkestra.
Not a newcomer to the music scene, Dwight has worked with such notables as Oscar Brown Jr., Charles Lloyd, Billy Childs, Kenny Burrell, Kenny Garrett, Steve Turre, Harold Land, Harry Belafonte, Della Reese and Norman Conners, John Beasley, Patrice Rushen, Babatunde Lea, Ernie Watts, Kahlil El Zabar, as well as contemporary soul artist like LA Reid and DJ Rogers. Dwight's collaborations with Horace Tapscott, Billy Higgins, Kamau Daaood and others have produced some of the finest musical moments in Los Angeles in recent years - and his best is yet to come!
HYPERLINK: Event Flyer - http://azarlawrence.com/sb_4.24_wb2.jpg
HYPERLINK: Press - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/arts/music/azar-lawrence-quintet-at-jazz-standard-review.html?_r=1&
HYPERLINK: Hi-Res Photo - http://azarlawrence.com/JALC-ColtraneFest_2012.jpg
HYPERLINK: Website - www.azarlawrence.com
HYPERLINK: Website - http://www.nicksmithmusic.com/
HYPERLINK: Website - http://dwighttrible.com/
HYPERLINK: Venue - http://www.seabirdjazzlounge.com
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