Album Review: People Moving, Azar Lawrence (Prestige, 1976)

The studio and production teams on this album went on to form the very pantheon of jazz, soul, and funk. They were the musical equivalent of the 1927 Yankees, the 1976 Montreal Canadiens, and the 1995 Chicago Bulls. Patrice Rushen, Mtume, Harvey Mason, Paul Jackson, and writing by none other than Clarence Alexander ‘Skip’ Scarborough.

How does this happen on one record?

The result is a stunning jazz album with grooves that hold up today and never tire, even after repeated listens. Azar Lawrence’s saxophone drives the instrumentals and accompanies in perfect balance vocal tracks like “Kickin’ Back” and “Gratitude”.

“Gratitude” is the Earth, Wind, and Fire song from their album of the same name (Columbia, 1975). Lawrence’s version is a hypnotic in-the-pocket groove decorated with his soulful improvisation. Similarly, “The Awakening” employs a spiral structure, not unlike Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” (Blue Note Records, 1965) and features a crafty bassline by Paul Jackson.

The opening track, “Theme For a New Day” is one of my all-time favourite jazz tracks. It encapsulates the mid-seventies jazz zeitgeist that broke away from straight-ahead jazz, lacing it with electric instrumentation and basslines that, yes, got people moving!

People Moving was unavailable on digital platforms until it was re-released earlier this month by Craft Recordings.