There’s something perfect about speaking with saxophonist/composer Azar Lawrence right after he’s clicked off from virtual Sunday church services. Still dwelling in the Los Angeles of his birth, Lawrence, who’ll turn 70 this November, maintains a devoutness to the spirit of the Lord—be it online or in person, when pandemics subside—that’s as reverent as his dedication to jazz.
Listeners might have gotten a sense of this from the soulful slate of leader albums that Lawrence has released since 1974, in addition to top-tier sideman gigs for Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and more (to say nothing of his hit compositions for the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire). One could certainly guess it from his run of 21st-century discs, including and and going right on through to this year’s release, . But according to him, the power
