Odds are you aren't familiar with Sam Lazar and that you're hearing about him now for the first time. Don't feel bad. The organist is one of jazz's briefest recording stars.
Born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1933, he played piano and was in a St. Louis group led by Ernie Wilkins. When Wilkins left to join Count Basie, Lazar played in several groups in the St. Louis area. After serving in the Army from 1951 to 1953, he studied medical technology.
Then Lazar went to see the Jimmy Smith Trio at Peacock Alley in St. Louis. Blown away, he took up the organ and formed a combo in the 1950s that initially included guitarists Grant Green and Joe Diorio.
Between 1960 and 1962, Lazar made three formidable soul-jazz albums for Chicago's Argo label—Space Flight, Playback and Soul Merchant. Then he completely disappeared from the music scene. Which is a shame considering how wonderfully he played.
Playback featured Miller Brisker (ts), Sam Lazar (org), Joe Diorio (g) and Phillip Wilson (d).
The tracks:
- Deep (Sam Lazar)
- Long Gone (Sonny Thompson)
- Bags' Groove (Milt Jackson)
- Fuzz Buzz (Lazar)
- Just Make Love to Me (Willie Dixon)
- S & S (Lazar)
- Please Send Me Someone to Love (Percy Mayfield)
- Scootin' (Lazar)
Here's Sam Lazar's complete Playback (1962) without ad interruptions. Dig S&S, and Joe Diorio throughout!...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays, go here.
- Paul Quinichette: Moods, go here.
- Jimmy Forrest: Forrest Fire!, go here.
- Brazilian Jazz Quartet: Coffee and Jazz, go here.
- Art Blakey!!! Jazz Messengers!!!, go here.
- Sidney Bechet/Martial Solal, go here.
- John Carisi: The New Jazz Sound Of "Show Boat," go here.
- The Marty Paich Quartet, Featuring Art Pepper, go here.
- João Gilberto, 1998, go here.
- Bobby Timmons: Soul Time, go here.
- Gerry Mulligan: Jeru, go here.
- Ray Bryant: Alone With the Blues, go here.
- Leon Spencer Jr.: Bad Walking Woman, go here.
- Jimmy McGriff: Step 1, go here.
- Johnny "Hammond" Smith: Breakout, go here.
- Oliver Nelson: Taking Care of Business, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Americans in Paris, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Tune-Up!, go here.
- Herbie Mann: Yardbird Suite, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Twilight Time, go here.
- Lou Levy Quartet: Jazz in Four Colors, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, go here.
- Hank Mobley: Poppin', go here.
- Barney Kessel: Kessel's Kit, go here.
- Larry Young: Into Somethin', go here.
- Henry Mancini: The Jazz Sound From Peter Gunn, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Night Crawler, go here.
- Maynard Ferguson: Around the Horn, go here.
- Frank Rosolino: Franky Speaking!, go here.
- Ben Webster: King of the Tenors, go here.
- Kenny Dorham: Una Mas, go here.
- Gigi Gryce: Nica's Tempo, go here.
- Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes, go here.
- The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr., go here.
- The Complete Chet Baker Sings, go here.
- Shorty Rogers Courts the Count, go here.
- Miles Ahead: Miles Davis +19, go here.
- Kenny Burrell, Jazzmen - Detroit, go here.
- Bill Watrous, In Love Again, go here.
- Gene Ammons, Boss Tenor, go here.
- Roy Eldridge: The Strolling Mr. Eldridge, go here.
- Clifford Brown and Max Roach with Sonny Rollins, go here.
- Fats Navarro: Nostalgia, go here.
- Hank Mobley: Hank Mobley Quintet, go here.
- Sandy Mosse: Relaxin' With..., go here.
- Maynard Ferguson: A Message From Newport, go here.
- Jimmy Raney: Two Jims and Zoot, go here.
- Zoot Sims Plays 4 Altos, go here.
- Jimmy Forrest: Out of the Forrest, go here.
- Jazz Studio 2, From Hollywood, go here.
- Billy Taylor: My Fair Lady Loves Jazz, go here.
- Hank Mobley: Soul Station, go here.
- Sylvia Telles, Lúcio Alves and Roberto Menescal: Bossa Session, go here.
- Horace Silver: The Horace Silver Trio, go here.
- Walter Davis: Davis Cup, go here.
- Wynton Kelly: Kelly at Midnite, go here.
- Jack Sheldon: Jack's Groove, go here.
- Herbie Nichols: Complete Masters, go here.
- Hank Mobley: Hank Mobley Quartet, go here.
- Mundell Lowe: Satan in High Heels, go here.
- Hal McKusick and Art Farmer: Quintet Sessions, go here.
- Os Poligonais: Os Poligonais, go here.
- Buddy Fite: Tasty, go here.
- Al Sears: Swing's the Thing, go here.
- A.K. Salim: Complete Savoy Recordings, go here.
- Rosinha de Valença, go here.
- Remo Rau, Evening at Cafe Africana, go here.
- Georgie Auld, Plays the Winners, go here.
- Complete Oscar Pettiford Orchestra, go here.
- East Coast - West Coast Scene, go here.
- O'Donel Levy: Black Velvet, go here.
- Sonny Rollins: Alfie, go here.
- Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By, go here.
- Complete Grant Green and Sonny Clark Quartets, go here.
- Marge Dodson: A Lovely Way to Live, go here.
- Sal Salvador: Colors in Sound, go here.
