Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Doug Lawrence: Streetwise

286

Doug Lawrence: Streetwise

By

Sign in to view read count
Doug Lawrence: Streetwise
There is always more room for a good tenor-guitar-organ combo. Tenor saxophonist Doug Lawrence leads such a combo for his Alltribe debut. A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lawrence has been performing since childhood. He currently leads the Doug Lawrence Orchestra and has recorded widely as a sideman and as a leader. For Streetwise, organist Dan Trudell, guitarist Ray Macchiarola, and drummer George Fludas join Lawrence for the festivities. Together, they pump out a liqueur-cool brand of organ-tenor jazz that sounds new and vintage at the same time.



Streetwise has a considerably different sound from other recordings by the principals—such as The B-3 Bombers Live at the Green Mill, on which Lawrence and Trudell also appear. In that case, the day was ruled by "The Funky Drummer" Clyde Stubblefield and the outing was white hot. This is a bit cooler affair, where melody reigns and the band is as tight as a drum. Streetwise sports a bright rhythmic sheen that begins with the opener "Say Little Mama Say." Lawrence’s tenor sounds very Gordonesque throughout, but no better than here. The blues is also represented. "Mellow Gravy" is taken a strolling pace with Trudell providing the greasy Jimmy Smith filigree. Ray Macchiarola shoehorns perfectly into the mix, making this a 21st Century Tenor-Organ Trio disc.



That's a nice vision to have. There are precious few tenor-organ outings, and the newer the better. Doug Lawrence and company serve up a very satisfying plate of soulful jazz on Streetwise. What this disc may lack in pure grease, it makes up for with pure grace.



Visit Alltribe Records and Doug Lawrence Music .

Track Listing

Say Little Mama Say; Mellow Gravy; Mr. Clean; A Portrait of Jenny; What For; Spanyola; Hello Young Lovers.(Total Time 48:33).

Personnel

Doug Lawrence
saxophone, tenor

Doug Lawrence-Tenor Saxophone; Dan Trudell-Organ; Ray Macchiarola-Guitar; George Fludas-Drums.

Album information

Title: Streetwise | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Alltribe

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.