Speaking the universal language of music: An interview with Azar Lawrence

Written By: 
Ally O Neil
Tags: 
Share:
  •  

Ally O’Neil chats with jazz legend Azar Lawrence.

Los Angeles saxophone player Azar Lawrence is known for his work with McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis, but that just scratches the surface. He began his musical journey playing the violin at just five years old, but transitioned into saxophone by 13 and never put it down. Starting at Dorsey High School Jazz Workshop, while being taught and mentored by songwriter / screenwriter Herbert Baker. 

Lawrence played his first professional gigs as a teen abroad with trumpeter Clark Terry and blues legend Muddy Waters. Following high school graduation, the musician joined Horace Tapscott’s Pan Afrikan Arkestra and regularly collaborated with George Cables, Candy Finch, Larry Gales, and Woody Shaw at a nearby venue called L.B. West on 54th St. in South LA. He performed in Ike & Tina Turner’s band, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and War. Before he hit 20, Lawrence commenced an extraordinary three-and-a-half year journey alongside Elvin Jones, the acclaimed drummer from John Coltrane’s quartet. Lawrence became a member of McCoy Tyner’s band for five-plus years, playing on some of Tyner’s best albums. 

Along the way, Lawrence recorded and wrote music for Roberta Flack, Phyllis Hyman,  Freddie Hubbard, and Busta Rhymes. He contributed to Earth Wind & Fire’s immensely praised platinum album, Powerlight, as well as Marvin Gaye’s searing divorce album Here, My Dear. The saxophonist continues to make phenomenal music with the Azar Lawrence Experience, which consists of Lynne Fiddmont on vocals, guitarist Dale Williams, Chris Lowery on trumpet, Wes Lowery on drums, Robert Turner on keys, and Munyungo Jackson and David Leach on percussion.

His three 1970s solo albums for the iconic jazz label Prestige are classics of the era. 




Bridge Into The New Age (1974)

The album features a stellar lineup of musicians who bring immense talent and creativity to the recording. Joining Lawrence are maestros Woody Shaw on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, bassist Clint Houston, pianist Joe Bonner, drummer Billy Hart, James Mtume with the percussion and Jean Carn on vocals. Each musician’s distinct style and improvisational prowess contribute to the album’s overall brilliance. Opening track “Bridge Into The New Age” gets you prepared for the spiritual odyssey Lawrence guides you towards, one with minimal yet powerfully evocative lyrics that showcase vocalist Carn’s range and creativity. With its rich compositions, masterful performances, and exploratory spirit, Bridge Into The New Age remains a significant contribution to the spiritual jazz genre.

Summer Solstice (1975)

Lawrence drew inspiration from the earth’s longest day in midsummer when naming the album, whichexplores spirituality and exudes a sense of passion, energy, and spiritual depth, drawing inspiration from cosmic and celestial themes. The composer demonstrates his ability to effortlessly blend varied musical influences. Latin jazz, fusion, and post-bop seamlessly intertwine to create harmony. “From The Point Of Light” showcases how his tone can be warm yet expressive, transporting you to a meditative state. 

People Moving (1976)

People Moving is the third of three albums put out through Prestige. The 1976 masterpiece, dedicated to the great Charles Stepney and produced by Skip Scarborough, features some of LA’s best session musicians: Patrice Rushen on electric piano and vocals, Harvey Mason on drums, Jerry Peters on piano, and James Mtume yet again on percussion. The title track, “People Moving,” accomplishes precisely what its name suggests – it gets the audience on their feet and grooving to the music. This album is extra remarkable; Lawrence’s first jazz-funk fusion release showcases his ability to excel in any genre. Two tracks are originally by Earth, Wind & Fire –– “Can’t Hide Love” and “Gratitude” –– but Lawrence makes them his own, breathing new life while honoring the original essence of the songs. 

Lawrence recently spoke with In Sheep’s Clothing’s Ally O’Neil to talk about his life in music.

Azar, thank you so much for taking the time to chat. As a jazz musician who has had a successful and varied career, what do you feel has been the key to your longevity in the music industry?

Practice practice practice. From the fundamental musical delivery part of it, practicing and delivering a pleasant tone that the people like to hear. My saxophone teacher said long tones are the key, because you could know each and every note on the saxophone, but if they don’t sound good, who’s gonna listen? I remember him saying that and having a good attitude about yourself. Nobody wants to talk to somebody that ain’t nice. You have to know how to deal with people. 

Who was your teacher?

Mr. Shoemaker. He’s been gone a long time, though. He used to drive over, come to me and teach me. Going back to that one thing he told me, you could know every note on the saxophone and be able to play each and every one but if it doesn’t sound good who’s gonna listen to them, I was like, “Oh yeah, that makes sense.”

You have played with some of the most legendary musicians in jazz history, including Miles Davis and McCoy Tyner. What are the most valuable lessons you've learned from these experiences and how have they influenced your own approach to music?

Each one of those individuals gave me a part of the puzzle that has become my life. Musically as well, music is a language and McCoy Tyner used to speak of that all the time. That was his thing, the language of music. Everywhere we went people spoke different languages, but they all understood the music. The universal language of music.

Each person I performed with gave me something I was able to take with me and build upon it to be the person, the musical entity that I am. The whole thing is to learn, it helps you to understand yourself –– understanding music and how to connect with your inner self, unlock those doors, and be able to speak using the universal language of music. That is an art one must study, and it is also a gift. The inner and outer connection of the musical instrument –– the physical aspect of the musical instrument, and how you utilize that to speak in a language that people can feel and understand –– is a lifelong study. 

Your music often conveys deep emotions and spiritual themes. Can you share more about your personal connection to spirituality and how it influences your music?

Just since I was raised in the Catholic church but then grew into more of a universal connection with the higher self, the inner knowledge of metaphysics. I tried to scratch deeper on the surface to find the inner meanings of things. Everything has an inner meaning. The things we’re fed and taught are basically the outer shell of what is. A lot of things have been hidden over the centuries. There is the involution and the evolution of the spirit where the angels fell to earth. The spiritual energies became more deeply involved with matter; it was necessary for the seed of the human being to be couched within the material world so that they could grow like a seed in soil. This is the earthy soil of matter. 

Back in the days of Atlantis and Lemuria, when the angels were just falling and the vibrations of the earthly plain were higher, the knowledge was free and more available, and then became more materialistic. Those that were in charge of keeping the knowledge saw that they should begin to clothe it in a myth, and the myths have inner meaning. Like Hansel and Gretel, that whole idea of leaving a trail through the royal maze. We get to earth and get so caught up in earthly materialistic things, but if you start to research and look back over history or “HIStory,” you see that there’s a trail that leads back. Some call it “the golden thread,” but still it’s the story of Hansel and Gretel that left a trail so you could find your way back to yourself. 

Life would be awfully boring without all the layers. The duty of one person is not the duty of the other. In the words of Vivekananda in the Karma Yoga book, each is great in its own place and the duty of one is not the duty of the other. That’s one of the goals: to start to master that within oneself. A lot of us determine what other people should do by our own understanding, but everybody’s at different levels and it all fits together as a puzzle in terms of life. That’s what makes the whole world go round.

How do you feel your new music represents your artistic growth and evolution as a musician?

As a musician who is attempting to be continuous. The titles, for instance. “New Sky” was recorded during the pandemic. There were so many people that showed new concepts that they gathered or were awakened to. It’s apparent that there’s hope; there’s a new sky of individual awareness that has come from being still. Having to be still, having to have the time to go within. A lot of people were not pleased with themselves because they were bored or didn’t have anything to do, but some of us took that time to actually do some work and connect with ourselves.

The basis of my musical journey has been beyond a physical approach to life, to start to bring some of the listeners along. Musically, it’s difficult to put your finger on how the music is reflecting it. Hopefully it is reflected in the music and the titles, “All In Love,” “New Sky,” “Revelations” on the New Sky album. My very first album was called Bridge Into The New Age and that was a chant: “I am black as the night from which the light of a new day descends, I am the past, present, and future anointed of God, I am what I am, I am the blended colors of life that light the bridge into the new age, I am the seed plant in the flower anointed of earth, I am that I am.”

That’s called the serapis meditation. When I was playing with McCoy we went on a yacht cruise out on the lake, Orrin Keepnews offered to sign me to Prestige, McCoy signed off on that. In his office out in Berkeley, California we were talking about our plan to do that chant. I wanted to run it by him just in case there was anything politically incorrect. 

Once I got to “I am the blended colors of life that light the bridge into the new age,” he stopped me and said “Wait, that sounds like an album title!” So that’s how that came about. I studied with some individuals at the Aquarian Spiritual Center. The word gnostics means “to know,” the black gnostics, the word black is “wise.” They had the black gnostics studies, which is the curriculum that’s based upon the Egyptian Mystery Schools. I had the chance to delve into that. I was prepared to start my path unlocking certain secrets in oneself and hopefully inspire other individuals to scratch a little deeper on the surface. One of my albums is called The Seeker, but all of the different albums you look at have a message and musically we’re hopefully relaying a message that comes together and starts to unfold.

How does your new music differ from your previous works? Are there any specific musical elements or stylistic choices that you have incorporated into this project?

I’ve started using a definite rhythm pattern. All the rhythms come from Africa, so before I was concentrating more or less dissuading the traditional jazz idiom type of rhythms. As I’ve become more involved over the years and had experience with it and working with McCoy Tyner, one of the things I got from him was the African influence and rhythmic influences.

The work I did with McCoy, and his own work, most likely involved the rhythms of South Africa or South America, Brazilian-type rhythms. But all those are influenced from Africa. I was with McCoy five-and-a-half years, so that was a part of my training. You notice a lot of my influence in songs are based upon that, especially in the earlier part of my career. I’ve played in funk bands: I was in Horny Horns, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, my group Chameleon. That’s become integrated into what I’m doing now. The emphasis now is more on the funk.

Your 1976 release People Moving showcases a fusion of jazz, funk, and other genres. What motivated you to explore this musical fusion, and how did you approach blending these different styles together?

I think McCoy Tyner had a lot to do with that because, like I was saying, we were doing an album of his called Atlantis. There was one particular song on there where he wasn’t satisfied with the beat that the drummer was using. Gaderamy Franco, not only my friend but a great percussionist, may he rest in peace, said “Oh let me try, let me try!” and put a Brazilian beat on it. When he sat down, he just played a funk beat. McCoy was like, “Yeah, that’s it!” That got me wondering, “Why am I holding back?” There was a lot of peer pressure back in those days to not play funk. Sonny Rollins did a funk album. I was a purest –– I went all the way in there. This man invented jazz, so when he did that funk album I was like, okay.

Miles broke through all of that; when I played with Miles in that period, he was doing what we’re trying to do now in this group –– fuse funk, but I’m a rock and roller too. I was around the rock group Boston –– Fran Sheehan the bass player, Barry Goudreau, Sibby Hashian. We were doing some albums on the side. We used to do a history of rock and roll once a year at the Swampscott High School where Barry Goudreau and Fran went to school, Swampscott, Massachusetts. Guys from the Stones, Foghat, Paul Shaffer from David Letterman. We played up in Swampscott and it was two hours nonstop. We’d go down to the China Club in New York the next day and do it again. I’ve worked with Eric Burdon, from The Animals. When he [joined] War, I was in the group before. I went on the road with Elvin Jones for a while too, that was fun.

What's your secret to crafting mesmerizing live performances? Can you share the behind-the-scenes magic that goes into your preparation for a show and how you consistently deliver such captivating and dynamic performances?

I think you hit it on the head… It’s preparation. Like today, we’re at rehearsal. It’s a meticulous repetitious type of approach. You start to approach perfection of some type. Then when it gets to a certain level of perfection, if there’s such a thing, then at that point it starts to blossom when you perform it. Other energies become involved, stimuli get involved when the moment arises. With the interaction of the audience and all those kinds of things, that happens when you perform live.


Revisit our collection writeup on Azar Lawrence’s cult synth boogie record Shadow Dancing: https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/album/azar-lawrence-shadow-dancing/

Related Articles

Sort By
12th Isle
2 Tone
2020
2022
2023
33rpm
45rpm
4AD
5 Selects
7"
99 Records
A&M
Abbey Lincoln
Aboriginal
Abstract
Ace Tone
Acid
Acid Archives
Acid Folk
Acid House
Acid Punk
Acid rock
Acoustic
Adrian Sherwood
Africa
African
Afro
Afro-Cuban
Afrobeat
Alan Ginsberg
Alan Greenberg
Alan Thicke
Albert Ayler
Album Cover
Alex Patterson
Alice Coltrane
All Genre
Altec
Amaro Freitas
Amazon Music
Ambient
Ambient Jazz
ambient techno
American Primitive
Amoeba Music
Amplifier
Analog
Anatolian Rock
Andrew Weatherall
Andy Warhol
Anenon
Animal
Animation
Anna Butterss
AOR
Aphex Twin
Aquarium Drunkard
Archie Shepp
Archival
Armenia
Art
Art & Design
Art Dudley
Art Film
Art Pop
Art Rock
Artform Radio
Arthur Russell
Article
Arvo Part
Ash Ra Temple
Asian Underground
Audiogon
Audiophile
Audiovisual
Austin Peralta
Australia
Autechre
avant
Avant-Garde
Avant-pop
Avant-Rock
Avent-Garde
Balearic
Bali
Ballad
Bargain Bin
Baroque
Baroque Pop
Basquiat
Bass
Bauhaus
Bayou Funk
BBC
BBC Radiophonic
Beat Scene
Beats
Beats in Space
Bebop
Belgium
Bennie Maupin
Berlin-school
Best of 2020
Beverly Glenn​-​Copeland
Bhutan Stamps
Big Band
Bill Laswell
Black Ark Studios
Black Jazz
Blaxsploitation
Blue Note
Blues
Blues Rock
Bob Marley
Bola Sete
Bollywood
Boogie
Book
books
Boredoms
Bossa
Bossa Nova
Brainfeeder
Brazil
Brazilian Folk
Breakbeat
Breezy
Brian Eno
Bruce Weber
Bruton Music
Buddhism
Budget Audiophiler
Cabaret
Calypso
Cambridge Audio
CAN
Candombe
Cannanes
Canterbury
Cape Jazz
Cape Verde
Caribbean
Carla Bley
Cartridges
Casio
Cassette
Cats
CD
Celluloid
Chamber Jazz
Chamber Music
Chan Marshall
Channel One Studios
Chanson
Charles Lloyd
Charles Mingus
Chee Shimizu
Chet Baker
Chicago
Chillout
Choral
Christmas
City Pop
Classic Album Sundays
Classical
Classics
Clothing
Club
Cocteau Twins
Coctueau Twins
Coffee
Coldwave
Colorfield
Comedy
Commercial
Community
Compass
Compass Point
Compilation
Concept Album
Condesa Electronics
Conlon Nancarrow
Conny Plank
Contemporary Jazz
Cool Jazz
Cornelius
Cosmic
Cosmic Disco
Cosmic Folk
cosmic jazz
Country
Country Pop
Country-Rock
Covers
Cult Classic
Cumbia
DAC
Dacne
Daft Punk
Dance
Dance Music
Dancehall
Daniel Aged
Dark
Dark Entries
David Behrman
David Bowie
David Byrne
Davida
Dedicated listening session
Deep Dive
Deep House
Deep Listen
Deep Listening
Delia Derbyshire
Demo
Dennis Bovell
Denon
Detroit
Devotional
DFA
Diasporic Disco
Dick Verdult
Diggin in the Mags
Disco
Discogs
DIY
DIY / Amateur
DJ
DJ Shadow
Documentary
Dogs
Don Buchla
Don Cherry
Donald Byrd
Doom Metal
Downtempo
Dowtempo
Dr. John
Dream House
Dream Pop
Dreamy
Drone
Drum Break
Drum Machine
Drum n Bass
Drums
Dual
Dub
Dub Poetry
Dub Techno
dublab
Dubwise
Durutti Column
Düsseldorf School
Dust and Grooves
Eames
Earl King
Early Electronic
East African
Easy Listening
EBM
ECM
ecoustic
ecoustics
Electric Lady
Electro
Electronic
Electronic Jazz
Electronica
Elegant Pop
Elvin Jones
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam
Enossified
Environmental Music
EOY
Eric Dolphy
ESG
Esoteric
ESP Institute
Essential Listen
Essential Listening
Essential Listenning
Ethereal
Ethiopian Jazz
Ethnic
Event
Events
Exotica
Experimental
Factory Records
Faye Wong
Feel Good All Over
Fela Kuti
Festival
Field recording
Films
Fingertracks
Fingetracks
Fishing with John
Fleetwood Sound Company
Floating
Floating Points
Folk
Folk Funk
Folk-Rock
Fonts
Footwork
Fourth World
France
Free Improvisation
Free Jazz
Friends of ISC
Frippertronics
Fundraiser
Funk
Fusion
G-Funk
G.S. Schray
Gal Costa
Gamelan
Garage Rock
Garrard
Gems from the Dollar Bin
George Martin
George Oban
German techno
Gifts
Gilberto Gil
Glam Rock
Glitch
Gogo
Gospel
Grado
Graphic Novel
Grateful Dead
Group Sounds
Growing Bin
Guide
Guitar
Gwo Ka
Gypsy
Habitat Ensemble
Haçienda Club
halloween
Hard Bop
Hard Rock
Harold Budd
Harp
Harry Nilsson
Haruomi Hosono
headphones
Heavy Metal
Henry Lewy
Herbie Hancock
hi-fi
hi-NRG
Hidden Gem
Highlife
Hip Hop
Hip-Hop
Hiroshi Yoshimura
history
Holger Czukay
Holiday
Hollywood
Holy Grail
Home Listening
House
Hypnotic
Iasos
Ibiza
IDM
Illbient
Illustration
Improvisation
Impulse!
In Conversation
In Stock
India
Indian
Indian Classical
Indie
Indie Rock
Industrial
Ingmar Bergman
Installation
Instrumental
International
Interview
ISC Classic
ISC Collection
isc guide
ISC NYC
ISC Record Store
ISC Selects
Island Records
Isolation
Italo Disco
Italo House
Italy
Jackie McLean
Jah Shaka
Jamaica
James Baldwin
Jangle Pop
Japan
Japananese
Japanese
Jazz
jazz funk
jazz kissa
Jazz-funk
Jazz-rock
JBL
John Coltrane
John Fahey
John Martyn
Jon Hassell
Joni Mitchell
Judee Sill
Jungle
K-pop
K. Leimer
Kankyo Ongaku
Keiji Haino
Keith Haring
Keith Jarrett
Kid-Friendly
Kim Yaffa
Kitty Records
Klaus Schulze
Klipsch
Kompakt
Kosmiche
Kosmische
KPM
Kraftwerk
Kranky
Krautrock
Kruatrock
kwaito
L.Shankar
La Monte Young
Labels We Love
Lafawndah
Lagniappe Sessions
Laraaji
Larry Levan
Last Resort
Laswell
Latin
Latin Jazz
Laurel Canyon
Laurie Spiegel
Leaving Records
Lebanese
Lee Scratch Perry
Left-field
Leftfield
Lena Horne
Les Baxter
Lester Bowie
Library
Library Music
Liquid Liquid
Listening
Listening bar
Listening Party
Listening Session
Live Performance
Live Recording
Loose Ends
Loren Mazzacane Connors
Los Angeles
Lost & Sound
lost and sound
Louisiana Blues
Lounge
Lounge Lizards
Love Songs
Lovefingers
Lovely Music Ltd.
Lovers Rock
Luaka Bop
Mad Professor
Magazine
Mandopop
Marantz
Marcel Duchamp
Marcella Cytrynowicz
Marcos Valle
Mark E. Smith
mbaqanga
McCoy Tyner
McIntosh
Meditation
Meditational
Meditative
Melancholic
Mellow
Melody As Truth
Meredith Monk
Metal
Mexico
Miami
Michael Franks
Microhouse
Mid-Century
Miles Davis
Milford Graves
Mills College
Minako Yoshida
Minimal
Minimal Techno
Minimal Wave
Minneapolis Sound
Mixes
Mixtape
Mizell Brothers
mo wax
Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs
Modal
Modern Classical
Modern Soul
Modular Synthesis
Moki Cherry
Mono
Mort Garson
Motown
MPB
MTV
Munich
Music Blog
Music from Memory
Music Interior
Music Therapy
Music Video
Musique Concrète
Mwandishi
Narrative
Neneh Cherry
Neo Soul
Neptunes
New Age
New Islands
New Jack Swing
New Music
New Orleans
New Wave
New York
News
Nico
Nightmares on Wax
Nina Simone
No Wave
Noise
Non-Profit
Northern Soul
Now Sound
NTS
Nubian Pop
Nubian Soul
Numero Group
NYC
OBI
Obscure
Obscure Sound
Occult
On Screen
On-U Sound
online radio
Opera
Organ
Organic
Organic Music
Ornette Coleman
Ortofon
Oswalds Mill Audio
Outsider Pop
Overtone Singing
Painting
Painting with John
Pandit Pran Nath
Paradise Garage
Pastoral
Patrick Cowley
Paul Horn
Paul McCartney
Pauline Oliveros
PBS
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Pensive
Percussion
Pharoah Sanders
Phillip Glass
Philly Soul
Piano
Pioneer
Plantasia
Plants
Player Piano
playlist
Playlists
Plinth
Podcast
Poetry
Political
Polygonia
Pop
Pop Art
Pop not Slop
Pop Rock
Popp
Popul Vuh
Post Bop
Post Rock
Post-Punk
Post-Rock
Power Pop
Premiere
Prince
Private Press
Pro-Ject
Producer
Productions
Professor Longhair
Prog Rock
Progressive
Progressive Rock
Prophet-5
Proto-techno
Psych-folk
Psychedelic
Psychedelic Rock
Psychic Hotline
Psyhedelic
Punk
Qobuz
Quadraphonic
QUARK
Quiet Storm
R&B
Radio
Raga
Rare Groove
rca victor
Receivers
Record Fair
Record Label
Record Store
Record Stores
Record Stories
Reggae
Reggaeton
Reissue
Reissues
Releases
Religious
Remix
Retrospective
Rock
Rocksteady
Roland
Roland Kirk
Roller Skate
Room Recordings
Room Treatment
Roots Reggae
Rotary Mixers
Rough Trade
Rudy Van Gelder
Russia
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakmoto
Sacred
Sade
Sam Gendel
Samba
Sample
Samples
San Francisco
Saxophone
Sci-fi
Séance Centre
Seefeel
Sensual
Shamisen
share
Shibuya-kei
Shoegaze
Silver Apples
Simeon Coxe
Singer-Songwriter
Sisters with Transistors
Ska
Sly & Robbie
Smooth Jazz
Soft Rock
Solid State
Songwriting
Sonia Pottinger
Sonny Sharrock
Soul
Soul-jazz
Sound Art
Sound Collage
Sound Installation
Soundsystems
Soundtrack
South Africa
South African
South America
Southern Soul
Space Rock
Spain
Speaker
speakers
Spiritual
Spiritual Jazz
Spoken Word
Squama Records
Staff Picks
Steely Dan
Stereolab
Stereophile
Steven Halpern
Stevie Wonder
Stoner Rock
stores we love
Stories
Streaming
Street Soul
Studio One
Substack
Sun Ra
Sunn O)))
Supergroup
Surround Sound
Susumu Yokota
Suzanne Cianni
Suzanne Kraft
Suzanne Langille
Swamp Rock
SYNG
Synth
Synth Pop
Synth-pop
Synthesizer
Synthwave
Taarab
Tadanori Yokoo
Takoma Records
Tangerine Dream
Tape
Tapes
TD-160
Technics
Techno
Techno Pop
Tel Aviv
Television
Terry Callier
Terry Riley
The Beatles
The Broad
The Fall
The Loft
The Meters
The Mizell Brothers
The Music Center
The Orb
The World Stage
Theater
Thelonious Monk
Third Side Music
Third Stream
This Mortal Coil
Thomas Fehlman
Thorens
Tim Sweeney
Time Capsule
Too Pure Records
Total Luxury Spa
Traditional
Tribal
Trip-hop
Tropical
Tropicalia
Tuareg
Tube
Turntable
Turntable Lab
TV
UK
UK Jazz
Ultramarine
Underground Resistance
Underrated
Val Wilmer
Vandersteen
Vanity Fair
Velvet Underground
Vice
Video
Video Art
Vince Guaraldi
Vintage
Vintage Audio
Vintage Gear
vinyl
Virginia Astley
Visible Cloaks
Visual Art
Vocal
Vocal Jazz
Vocoder
Wackies
Wah Wah Watson
Walearic
Wally Badarou
Warp
Water
Website
Werner Herzog
West Africa
West African
Western Acoustics
Windham Hill
wiring
World
Wrecking Crew
Yacht Rock
Yamaha
Yann Tomita
Yasuaki Shimizu
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yma Sumac
YouTube
Yukihiro Takahashi
Zamrock
Zither