Tag Archives: doug lawrence

Trentacosta and Lawrence Team Up on a New Old-School Release: ‘Desert Bop’

Clockwise from top left: Doug Lawrence, Dan Trudell, John Webber, John Trentacosta

Desert Bop offers yet more evidence that the Santa Fe–Albuquerque corridor houses some of the finest musicians anywhere. Drummer John Trentacosta (Santa Fe), whose roots go back to New York City, and saxophonist Doug Lawrence (Albuquerque), longtime lead tenor in the Count Basie Orchestra, serve up some tasty bop in classic style on this new release. (See below for details on the CD release party.)

Lagniappe: Lawrence will also be appearing on July 11 at the Outpost with his new organ quartet as the opening act of the 2019 New Mexico Jazz Festival. He’ll have the inimitable Dan Trudell on organ, John Webber on guitar, and Yuriana Sobrino Garcia on drums. Go here for more info.

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Doug Lawrence and Cobb’s Mob Pay Tribute to Dexter Gordon

Doug Lawrence. Photo courtesy of Doug Lawrence.
Jimmy Cobb

Dexter Gordon, in the words of the great jazz writer, editor, producer, and archivist Dan Morgenstern, “is of course the man who first created an authentic bebop style on the tenor saxophone.” That style influenced in one way or another just about every saxophonist who came after, and some of them—most notably John Coltrane—influenced Gordon in turn. That tells you something about the man’s dedication to his art.

On Saturday, July 15, tenor saxophonist Doug Lawrence, longtime lead tenor in the Count Basie Orchestra, will join Cobb’s Mob, a trio led by NEA Jazz Master drummer Jimmy Cobb, with bassist John Webber and pianist John Campbell, for a tribute concert copresented by the New Mexico Jazz Festival and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop. The festival will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bertrand Tavernier’s film Round Midnight, in which Gordon plays a fictional tenorist named Dale Turner, loosely based on saxophonist Lester Young and pianist Bud Powell. The performance earned him an Oscar nomination. The free showing, on Sunday, July 16, will be followed by an interview with Gordon’s widow, Maxine Gordon, conducted by Steve Feld.

I had a chance to chat with Lawrence, a man as sweet as he is hip, and the following excerpts from our conversation touch on the genesis of the upcoming gig, the honor of playing with Jimmy Cobb, and Gordon’s influence on Lawrence. Continue reading →

Doug Lawrence Introduces a Deep-Fried Organ Trio

DL in RedFat and juicy. Such a big and palpable presence that you could almost settle into it like an easy chair. Doug Lawrence’s instantly recognizable sound on the tenor saxophone—at once
romantic and hip—conjures a state of grace that many of today’s young players speed
heedlessly by, leaving a blizzard of notes in their wake. For Lawrence, lead tenor saxophonist in the Count Basie Orchestra, it is all about the sound and the story, and in the intimate, funky
setting of the organ trio, he can stretch both out in a way that the big band does not permit.

This Sunday, he and Hammond B-3 specialist Bobby Floyd and drummer David Gibson will all play hooky from the big band and turn up the funk factor at the Outpost in the final
Albuquerque concert of the 2015 New Mexico Jazz Festival. Continue reading →