Legendary tenor saxophonist and composer Azar Lawrence is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Turn the Music Up, on September 25 via his own Trazar Records. At 73, Lawrence continues to push the boundaries of jazz while honoring the musical legacy that has defined his remarkable career spanning more than five decades.
Turn the Music Up serves as both a retrospective and a bold artistic statement. The album revisits several compositions from Lawrence's early recordings, particularly his landmark releases Bridge into the New Age (1974) and Summer Solstice (1975), while reimagining them through the dynamic sound of his current ensemble, The Azar Lawrence Experience (TALE). Rather than simply recreating the past, Lawrence breathes new life into these compositions, presenting them with fresh energy, modern arrangements, and the maturity that comes from decades of musical evolution.
Throughout his career, Lawrence has built an extraordinary résumé, performing alongside jazz icons including McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, and Elvin Jones. Beyond the jazz world, he has collaborated with artists such as Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind & Fire and currently performs as a member of the acclaimed supergroup The Cookers. His solo career, launched in 1974, now includes 13 albums that have consistently reflected his distinctive artistic vision.
Lawrence describes Turn the Music Up as the culmination of everything he has learned throughout his musical journey. Drawing inspiration from the harmonic intensity and modal depth he absorbed while performing alongside Tyner, Davis, and Jones during the post-John Coltrane era, Lawrence emphasizes that the new album speaks with his own unmistakable voice while continuing to move the music forward.
The album features updated interpretations of several of Lawrence's signature works, including the title track from Summer Solstice, as well as an inspired, Latin-infused version of McCoy Tyner's "Atlantis," a composition Lawrence originally recorded with Tyner in 1974. Also included is a moving rendition of the spiritual jazz classic "The Creator Has a Master Plan," originally composed by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas.
Supporting Lawrence is The Azar Lawrence Experience, featuring trumpeter Brian Swartz, guitarist Taka Mori, pianist and keyboardist Robert Turner, bassist Gerald Brown, drummer and percussionist Yayo Morales, and vocalist Lynne Fiddmont. The ensemble demonstrates remarkable versatility throughout the album, seamlessly shifting from the Brazilian-inspired rhythms of "Highway" to the soulful elegance of "Fatisha" and the infectious funk of "Summer Solstice." Fiddmont's vocal performances add another compelling dimension, equally comfortable delivering powerful scat vocals and delicate spiritual expressions.
Additional contributions from trombonist Quinn Carson and percussionists Munyungo Jackson, David Leach, and Adam Moseley enrich the album's expansive sound. Despite the large ensemble and the extended improvisational nature of the seven tracks, the performances remain focused, disciplined, and deeply connected, showcasing Lawrence's meticulous attention to musical detail.
Born in Los Angeles on November 3, 1952, Lawrence developed his musical foundation under the guidance of his mother, ImaJean Lawrence, a schoolteacher, choir director, and music instructor. Beginning on violin at age five before transitioning to viola and eventually tenor saxophone at 13, Lawrence quickly immersed himself in jazz through the influence of his friend Reggie Golson, son of saxophone legend Benny Golson, and the Dorsey High School Jazz Workshop.
His professional career gained momentum through Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan People's Arkestra before performances with Ike & Tina Turner, the Watts 103rd Street Band, and War. In 1972, Lawrence joined Elvin Jones' band and relocated to New York, where he soon began working extensively with McCoy Tyner and appeared on Miles Davis' influential live album Dark Magus.
Following decades of collaborations across jazz, soul, R&B, and hip-hop, including work with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Phyllis Hyman, Marvin Gaye, and Busta Rhymes, Lawrence has enjoyed a creative resurgence in recent years. His 2022 release New Sky, collaborations with artists such as Theo Croker and Kamasi Washington, and ongoing work with The Cookers and TALE have reaffirmed his status as one of jazz's most vital voices.
With Turn the Music Up, Azar Lawrence delivers more than a celebration of his past achievements. The album stands as a powerful reminder that true artistry continues to evolve, blending decades of experience with a fearless commitment to innovation. It is both a tribute to the rich traditions of spiritual and modal jazz and an exciting glimpse into the future of one of the genre's enduring masters.
Turn the Music Up arrives September 25 on Trazar Records.
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