Reissue of the Month - "Azar Lawrence: Summer Solstice"

CD Reissue of the Month
Azar Lawrence: "Summer Solstice" (Prestige) 2009
Release Date in Japan: November 18, 2009

I got my first vinyl copy of "Summer Solstice," arguably Azar Lawrence's best solo album ever, thanks to one of the most underrated Brazilian musicians of all-time: the great guitarist and brilliant composer Amaury Tristão, who took part on albums by people like Ron Carter, Charlie Rouse, Dom Um Romão and mostly Herbie Mann, being a member of the group led by the prominent jazz flutist in the 70s, when Tristão lived in NY. Not to mention that he also recorded a never released album as a leader produced by Norman Schwartz for RCA's Gryphon label.

Amaury Tristão is a key figure on the successful "Summer Solstice," a Brazilian-oriented free-fusion project produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro's dear friend and mentor Orrin Keepnews on April 29 & May 1st, 1975, for the Prestige label, and now reissued in Japan by Nippon Universal as part of the "Prestige Sixtieth Anniversary" series (this album never came out on CD here in the USA).

On two Tristão's extended compositions, "Novo Ano" and "Highway" (also covered by Dom Um on his "Spirit of the Times" LP for Muse), Lawrence is heard on soprano & tenor saxes, propelled by a burning and all-acoustic rhythm section consisting of Amaury Tristão on guitar, Dom Salvador on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Guilherme Franco on drums & percussion, Gerald Hayes on flute and the one & only Raul de Souza on trombone.

The three other selections feature once again Raul de Souza and Ron Carter, but with the late Albert Dailey (the pianist on Stan Getz/João Gilberto's "The Best of Two Worlds") and Gerry Mulligan's drummer Billy Hart, with additional percussion by Guilherme Franco and wood flute by Lawrence himself on "From the Point of Light," on which Raul doesn't play.

There's a perfect balance between Brazilian, fusion and free-jazz elements throughout the album. Something very rare to be achieved and that, therefore, deserves to be admired.