Summer Solstice (Remastered) Azar Lawrence

• 1 From The Point Of Love 07:58
• 2 Summer Solstice 09:30
• 3 Novo Ano 06:42
• 4 Highway 09:48
• 5 From The Point Of Light 06:55
• Total Runtime 40:53

Info for Summer Solstice (Remastered)

Long out of print and never before reissued, Azar Lawrence’s seminal album Summer Solstice returns to HighResAudio with an all analog mastering from the original tapes. Originally issued in 1975, this spiritual free-jazz album remains one of the highlights of the illustrious career of Azar Lawrence, who is one of the only artists from the legendary Prestige Recordings era who is still touring and putting out new music.

Highly regarded as one of Lawrence’s finest solo albums, Summer Solstice is a transcendent journey into his Brazilian influenced free-jazz fusion musings. Having started his journey in the jazz realm as a very young man, Lawrence honed his skills among luminary giants such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, followed by a five-year stint of work with the great McCoy Tyner where he found his voice as a performer and composer. According to an article on Lawrence by Chuck Koton for All About Jazz, “…his ascent to the peak of the jazz world at times lead Lawrence to wonder how he could be playing with these giants and it was Tyner who reassured Azar that as a young man that he belonged in such company because he could not only play the hell out of the horn, but because he felt the same way about the music as John (Coltrane) did.”

Recorded during a prime period of exploration and adventure for modern American jazz music, Summer Solstice finds Lawrence leading a team of international virtuosos consisting of Amaury Tristão on guitar, Dom Salvador and Albert Daily on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Guilherme Franco on percussion, Gerald Hayes on flute, and the one and only Raul de Souza, who is known for his work with artists like Sérgio Mendes and Sonny Rollins, on trombone. In the producer’s chair is Orrin Keepnews, famous for his golden ears that led him to discover artists such as Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley and Jimmy Heath. The result is an album that operates in the sonic space halfway between the influence of the American jazz standards of the 50s and 60s and the free spirit of the Brazilian jazz made popular by artists like Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Lawrence’s bold and fearless exploration of new sounds influenced many generations to come, and can be heard in the playing of his younger colleagues, like the great Kamasi Washington who cites him as a big influence.

Azar Lawrence, tenor saxophone
Raul de Souza, trombone
Amaury Tristao, acoustic guitar
Ron Carter, double bass
Billy Hart, drums
Guilherme Franco, drums, percussion
Gerald Hayes, flute
Albert Dailey, piano
Dom Salvador, piano

Produced by Orrin Keepnews

Digitally remastered

Azar Lawrence
grew up during an era of prolificacy and transcendence in Jazz music that to this day has stood the test of time. He's composed, produced and performed with acclaimed jazz luminary McCoy Tyner for over five years and Elvin Jones for many years. While very young Azar began playing with many jazz legends and at such an early age his first professional gigs abroad were when he was seventeen with Clarke Terry and Muddy Waters.

It is said that music is of a pure nature all around us and within us as well. This music is from the tones produced by every vibration. Throughout the universe every atom everywhere produces a tone whether we can hear it or not. This is commonly referred to as the music of the spheres. When we as musicians dedicate our lives to a certain daily practice in order to try to produce the purest vibration tones we can often send those tones onto and into others like laser beams. Whether one on one or in groups music can and does cause an uplifting or healing effect. Our vibrations are lifted and we feel better and we are better.

I received this great understandingas inspiration in words of guidance and musical encouragement early on from legendary masters whom I have had the honor and privilege to humbly study, learn from, and perform with all along the way. McCoy Tyner's reply to me when I asked him how could he play with me just having turned 19 years old after being with the incomparable John Coltrane, was “I think you feel the same way about the music that John did."

The great Elvin Jones told me that he thought that I had the "same kind of energy" that Mr. Coltrane had and "that was what was needed from me."

Miles Davis told me when I was asked to join his band in the mid 70's that the reason he wanted me to come aboard was because he "had not heard tenor sax since John Coltrane until me."

This album contains no booklet.