Azar Trane

Azar Lawrence Quartet +2 - Impressions

The long March begins with a new month and this lovely 13 year old concert.

This was recorded on this day in 2013, but it's really a timeless tribute.

And is it ever not time for a tribute to the music of John Coltrane?

The way this world is drain-circling, you'd have to say "Now, more than ever!" to any such thing.

This show -- and the bonus cuts from 9 days earlier I've appended -- work perfectly as a primer on why Trane is the father of, among other things, what we now term Spiritual Jazz.

You could even say that the genre starts with the song Spiritual itself.

It's definitely appropriate that that epic tune -- and there's never been one since that surpasses it for illustrating what this kind of music is all about -- is included in this set.

And who better than to helm it all than one of McCoy Tyner's go-to reedsmen? You don't get a more direct continuity from the music of JC than what McCoy subsequently got into.

There's no one more qualified to play this music than Azar Lawrence, who's one of the players of our epoch whose style and substance owe a supreme debt to Trane, yet who have crafted a sound all their own in the 60 years since JC died.

So we'll kick off the month with a happy anniversary to this tremendous and faithful homage to one Maestro from another, taped in Germany a decade-plus ago and still humming.

Azar Lawrence Quartet +2

John Coltrane Memorial Concert

Theater Gütersloh

Gütersloh, Germany

3.2.2013

01 Azar Lawrence announcement

02 For Koko/band introductions

03 Spiritual

04 Naima

05 Lonnie's Lament

06 Impressions

07 The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

08 Body & Soul

Total time: 1:19:55

Tracks 01-06: Gütersloh

Azar Lawrence - tenor & soprano saxophones

Benito Gonzalez - piano 

Essiet Okon Essiet - bass

Brandon Lewis - drums

plus

Clemens Salesny - bass clarinet & alto saxophone

Klemens Pliem - tenor saxophone & flute

Tracks 07 & 08: Small's Jazz Club, NYC USA 2.21.2013

Azar Lawrence & Al McLean - tenor saxophones

Essiet Okon Essiet - bass

Brandon Lewis - drums

Theo Hill - piano

Gerald Hayes - alto saxophone (Track 08 only)

Tracks 01-06 are sourced from a digital capture of the original WDR3 "Jazznacht" FM broadcast

Track 07 & 08 are bonus tracks; 320/48k audio extracted from HD YouTube Premium files

converted to 16/44 CD Audio by EN, February 2026

all edited & remastered for unity by EN, March 2026
496 MB FLAC/direct link

The bonus tracks have the same rhythm section, with different horn participants joining the fun to accompany Azar Lawrence through another two tunes associated with John Coltrane.

I'm back in 48 hours or so with a big birthday the guy who it belongs to just missed, because he passed a few weeks ago. But I was digging this show so much I decided it'd be welcome, so enjoy the Trane ride from Mr. Lawrence!--J.