Jazz Articles about Ronnie Laws

Ronnie Laws: Finding His New Groove

by Belinda Ware
September 14, 2017

Ronnie Laws is a passionate musician who finds joy in discovering new music in moments of reflection or jamming with his peers. When it comes to creating new music, he makes it a point to test new ideas exploring dimensions of fusing jazz with modern R&B while staying true to his signature sound. Laws' journey of musical discovery began to take shape during the time he started playing saxophone with the Jazz Crusaders, Hugh Masakela and super group ...

Ronnie Laws: Harvest For The World

by AAJ Staff
June 1, 1998

On many occasions, Ronnie Laws hasn't hesitated to stoop to musical prostitution and record mindless, knee-jerk “elevator muzak" for the “smooth jazz" market. But the tenor & soprano saxman showed signs of repentance in 1996, when he recorded the soul-jazz gem A Tribute To The Legendary Eddie Harris. Saluting one of his main influences, Laws demonstrated that he could still be a riveting improviser and delivered his best album in 20 years. But sadly, Laws' fling with quality was too ...

Ronnie Laws: Tribute To The Legendary Eddie Harris

by AAJ Staff
July 1, 1997

Ronnie Laws showed considerable promise on his early albums of the mid-1970s, but in the 80s and 90s, the tenor & soprano saxman often wasted his improvisatory skills on overproduced, vapid NAC and lightweight “smooth jazz" fluff. A welcome return to his jazz/funk and “soul jazz" roots, Tribute To The Legendary Eddie Harris is Laws' strongest release since 1976's Fever.

Paying tribute to the late Chi-Town sax hero, Laws gives himself plenty of room to blow on ...