Doug Lawrence

Doug Lawrence on the Super Jet Tenor 7*

“I can use this mouthpiece for any gig that I play. My main gig with the Count Basie Orchestra, this mouthpiece will be perfect for that, or small group with the Dexter Gordon Legacy Quintet with Louis Hayes, this is going to be perfect. Just what I need. It’s the best mouthpiece on the market.”

Doug Lawrence - Count Basie Orchestra

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Doug Lawrence Biography

Born in Louisiana and raised in New Mexico, saxophonist Doug Lawrence spent over 25 years making a name for himself in New York City. Among the artists Doug has performed and recorded with include - Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess, Anita O'Day, Buck Clayton, Dakota Staton, Wild Bill Davis, Benny Carter, Bobby Short, Eddie Durham, Stevie Wonder, Diane Schuur, Patti Austin, The Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra, Dennis Mackrel's Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra, George Bensen, Clyde Stubblefield, Lizz Wright, Marlena Shaw, Nnenna Freelon, Ledisi, Jamie Cullum, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lady Gaga, Andra Day and many others.

Doug has performed on seven continents at virtually every major concert hall, jazz club and jazz festival in the world, including - Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, The Sydney Opera House, The Dewan Fhilharmonik Petronis Concert Hall in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore's Esplanade Concert Hall, The Blue Notes in Japan, Italy and New York, The Village Vangaurd, Blues Alley, Birdland, Ronnie Scott’s, The North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Newport, Chicago, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Toronto, Telluride, Aspen, Playboy and Nice Jazz Festivals, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and many more. Doug has also performed for 5 American Presidents as well as the Queen of England, The King of Thailand and the Royal Families of Monaco, Sweden, Japan and Spain.

As the featured tenor saxophone soloist with the Legendary 18-time Grammy® award-winning Count Basie Orchestra, Doug has toured the world extensively. The Basie Orchestra has no parallel in jazz. They have won more awards, polls and Grammys® than any other jazz big band in history. The chair Doug fills (1st tenor) has been inhabited by a virtual "who's who" of jazz tenor saxophonists. They include - Lester Young, Hershel Evans, Don Byas, Eli "Lucky" Thompson, Budd Johnson, Buddy Tate, Illinois Jacquet, Wardell Gray, Paul Quinechette, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Sal Nistico, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jimmy Forrest, Eric Schneider and Kenny Hing.

Doug appeared in the Broadway Show "Come Fly Away" as principle saxophone soloist along with the great Canadian saxophonist P.J. Perry from 2009 thru 2012. This show, based on the music of Frank Sinatra and the choreography of Twyla Tharp featured an all-star big band performing on stage."Come Fly Away" began in Atlanta, went to Broadway, and toured nationally in the US and Japan in it's 3 year run. Other Broadway shows Doug has been associated with as an original member include: the 1st National Tour of "Sister Act", which ran from September 2012 to July 2014.

Doug's recordings as leader are the critical and commercial hits Soul Carnival on the Warner Bros/Fable/Lightyear label (#3 Album Jazz Charts USA for 14 weeks 1998), High Heel Sneakers on the Warner Bros/Fable/Lightyear label (#11 Album Jazz Charts USA 1999), Street Wise on the All-Tribe label (Top 25 Jazz Albums of the Year Japan 2004), Big Band Swing on the Black Orchid label (4 stars All Music Guide), New Organ Trio on the Cactus label (Top Seller iTunes Japan 2014) and the singles DL'S Groove. No More Goodbyes and Street Singer on the Cactus label (2016).

Doug's upcoming recording projects (2018 releases) will be a Latin-Jazz album featuring among others Bobby Shew, and a straight-ahead swinging quartet album with longtime friend John Trentacosta recorded in NYC featuring Dan Trudell and John Webber. Other 2018 recordings Doug will be appearing on as a featured soloist include Ella turns 100-Live At The Apollo featuring Andra Day, Patti Austin, Cassandra Williams & Lizz Wright on Concord Records, and 80 Years of Basie with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra featuring Stevie Wonder on Concord Records.

 

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