Azar Lawrence : People Moving (CD) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Enlarge       Note

People Moving

CD (Item 712738) Prestige/Universal, 1976 
Out Of Stock

CD

Stellar reed work from Azar Lawrence -- a player who's best known for his acoustic revival in recent years, but who could play with some excellent electric backings during the 70s! The set's less an electric funk outing than it is a spiritual jazz set, with keyboards and guitar in the mix -- beautifully put together by the young Skip Scarborough, with a feel that's very similar to Gary Bartz's work with Larry Mizell! Azar's reeds are wonderful -- soaring, searching, in a style that's inspired by Coltrane, but with a more direct focus -- again like Bartz, or maybe a bit like Hadley Caliman too -- and the record features strong work from a lineup that includes Patrice Rushen on keyboards, Lee Ritenour on guitar, Paul Jackson on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. The whole thing's got a great Fantasy Records funk groove -- and includes many nice titles like "Theme For A New Day", "Kickin Back", "Canticle For The Universe", "Gratitude", and a great take on Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love".  © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.

There may be different interpretations or standards used to grade pre-owned vinyl record albums & CDs. These are the grades that we use and what they mean for items that are not new copies.

Used Vinyl Grades

Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-") the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.

The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:

Sealed

This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap. We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as "Sealed".

Near Mint

Dusty Groove does not use the grades of Near Mint (or Mint, for that matter) because in our experience, we find that no records ever qualify for such a high grade. Even sealed records tend to have one or two slight faults, enough to usually qualify them for a grade of NM- or lower. We've often found that records which are clearly unplayed will have a slight amount of surface noise, especially in quieter recordings.

Near Mint - (minus)

  • Black vinyl that may show a slight amount of dust or dirt.
  • Should still be very shiny under a light, even with slight amount of dust on surface.
  • One or two small marks that would make an otherwise near perfect record slightly less so. These marks cannot be too deep, and should only be surface marks that won't affect play, but might detract from the looks.
  • May have some flaws and discoloration in the vinyl, but only those that would be intrinsic to the pressing. These should disappear when the record is tilted under the light, and will only show up when looking straight at the record. (Buddah and ABC pressings from the 70's are a good example of this.)
  • May have some slight marks from aging of the paper sleeve on the vinyl.
  • Possible minor surface noise when played.

Very Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
  • Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
  • Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
  • This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones).
  • May have slight surface noise when played.

Very Good

  • Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major.
  • May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.
  • May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail.
  • May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more.
  • This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good "play copy" for someone new.

Very Good - (minus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, and can lack a fair amount of luster.
  • Vinyl can have a number of marks, either in clusters or smaller amounts, but deeper.
  • This is the kind of record that you'd buy to play, but not because it looked that great. Still, the flaws should be mostly cosmetic, with nothing too deep that would ruin the overall record.
  • Examples include a record that has been kept for a while in a cover without the paper sleeve, or heavily played by a previous owner and has some marks across the surface. The record should play okay, though probably with surface noise.

Good + (plus)

  • Vinyl may be dirty, or have one outstanding flaw, such as a light residue, which could be difficult to clean.
  • May have marks on all parts, too many to qualify as Very Good-, or several deeper marks, but the record should still be ok for play without skips.
  • In general, this is a record that was played a fair amount, and handled without care. A typical example may be a record which has been heavily played by a DJ, and carries marks from slip cueing. Depending on the quality of the vinyl, may play with surface noise throughout.

Good

  • A record that you'd buy to play, cheap, but which you wouldn't buy for collecting.
  • Will have marks across all parts of the playing surface, and will most likely play with surface noise throughout. May have some other significant flaws, such as residue, or a track that skips.
  • In most cases, a poor quality copy of a very difficult to find record.

Fair

This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A "Fair" record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as "Good", but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music. For records listed as "Fair", we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Poor

Like "Fair", we rarely list records in this condition, as they represent the extreme low end of spectrum. These records typically have multiple serious problems, and we offer them as "relics" or "objects" only — for those who want to at least have a copy of a record, even if it is not really worthy of play, perhaps for the cover alone. For these records, we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments.

Additional Marks & Notes

If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record. This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip, cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.


Used CD Grade

We only use the grade "Used CD" for non-new CDs. This all-encompassing grade was chosen it because we only buy and offer used CDs in the best possible condition.

When you purchase a used CD you can expect the disc to be free of all but the lightest of surface marks, the case to be clean (we often change the cases ourselves), and the booklet to be in good shape. Used CDs may show some signs of use, but if there are significant details or defects we will describe the item's condition (just like we do with LPs), so look for notes on cutout marks, stickers, promo stamps or other details before ordering.

All of our used CDs are guaranteed to play without skipping or flaws. After you receive a used CD from Dusty Groove, you have 1 week to play it to determine that it plays correctly. If it does not, you can request a return for a full refund.


You might be interested


Blue Note (Japan), 1966. New Copy
An incredible album – one of our favorite Blue Notes ever! Despite the fact that the album's a spare quartet session, the record is one of Wayne Shorter's richest – and features his gutsy young tenor soloing insanely with a rhythmically intense combo that includes Herbie Hancock on ... CD

Larry Young

Lawrence Of Newark
Perception/Octave (Japan), 1973. New Copy
Incredible stuff from the jazz underground of Newark! This is one of the rarest albums ever recorded by jazz organist Larry Young – cut for the tiny Perception label during the early 70s, and featuring some of the cream of the New Jersey jazz underground. The album's got playing that ... CD
Art Yard/P-Vine (Japan), 1972. New Copy
Fantastic material from Sun Ra – a never-heard 1972 performance at Slugs, and one that captures the group at their most spiritual point! The core of the set is the track "I Roam The Cosmos" – one of the more obscure Ra compositions, and a title that appears here for the first ... CD
Blue Note (Japan), 1966. New Copy
One of Donald Byrd's most fantastic records for Blue Note – and one of three gems that he recorded with the great Sonny Red on alto sax! Byrd and Red work magnificently together – and the two of them play with a tightness and funkiness that's missing from a lot of their other records ... CD

Embryo

Steig Aus
Brain/Universal (Japan), 1973. New Copy
One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and ... CD

Lawrence Marable Quartet feat James Clay

Tenorman
Jazz West/Universal (Japan), 1956. New Copy
The only album to ever feature drummer Lawrence Marable as the leader of a group – and a cooking little hardbop set that showed the world that LA wasn't just a source for cool jazz in the 50s! The record is quite different than anything you'd hear from Chet Baker or Shorty Rogers – ... CD

Young Men From Memphis (Booker Little, George Coleman, Harold Mabern, & Others)

Down Home Reunion
United Artists/Universal (Japan), 1959. New Copy
It's a little-known fact that Memphis had a huge influence on the sound of late 50s/early 60s soul jazz – probably because most of the city's best players had to leave and go either to Chicago or New York to make their name. This set's a great reminder of that fact, as it brings together an ... CD

Cannonball Adderley

74 Miles Away/Walk Tall
Capitol/Universal (Japan), 1967. New Copy
A stone classic from Cannonball Adderley – and a pivotal set that has him continuing the live recording setting of some of his best 60s albums, while also stretching forward to some of the more inventive ideas of the latter part of the decade! David Axelrod produced, and the album's ... CD
Prestige/BGP (UK), 1967/1968. New Copy
Tasty bluesy organ material from Prestige, featuring 2 hard-to-find records, back-to-back in a single set! Billy Hawks sings and plays organ with a groove that's in between jazz, blues, and deep soul. On New Genius Of The Blues he's fronting a trio that includes a young Ivan "Boogaloo ... CD

Bernard Purdie

Purdie Good/Shaft
Prestige/BGP (UK), 1971/1972. New Copy
2 funky classics from the legendary Pretty Purdie! Purdie Good is Bernard Purdie's first album as a leader for Prestige – cut right after he'd hipped up plenty of other sessions for the label with his famous funky drums! The groove here is very much in the best Prestige jazz funk mode of ... CD
Prestige/BGP (UK), 1971. New Copy
2 classics from the legendary Idris Muhammad! Black Rhythm Revolution is one of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players! ... CD
Prestige/Craft, Late 50s. New Copy 4CD
A beautiful tribute to one of the first great pairings of Hammond and tenor – the saxophone of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and the organ of Shirley Scott – presented here in four classic albums that would forever change the face of jazz! The "cookbook" in the title is a reference to ... CD
 



⇑ Top