Charles Lloyd - Trios: Ocean

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:19) 1. The Lonely One (Live)
( 8:53) 2. Hagar of the Inuits (Live)
(10:03) 3. Jaramillo Blues(Live)
(10:08) 4. Kuan Yin (Live)

Ocean is the second volume in saxophonist Charles Lloyd's 2022 Trios series, all recorded with different personnel. This one finds Anthony Wilson on guitar and Gerald Clayton on piano. Both men are members of his Kindred Spirits ensemble. The set was livestreamed during the pandemic on September 9, 2020 from the stage of the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California sans audience. Lloyd has spent his career integrating jazz, blues, and American styles with the music of other global traditions. One of his qualities is that no matter how far afield he travels, his clear, emotive tone keeps the music, no matter how exotic, readily and honestly accessible.

There are four long tunes here, all originals by Lloyd. Opener "The Lonely One" commences with spectral resonance as the tenor emits long breathy notes, Clayton builds sparse minor shapes as Wilson delivers soft, flamenco-esque arpeggios. After two minutes, Lloyd's horn introduces another theme that winds around the guitar as Clayton flows purposefully and distinctly around them with a deeply inquisitive solo. Moods and dynamics shift, shorter accents and solos emerge and retreat, and the band gels around Lloyd's mysterious, Latin-tinged modal assertions.

The saxophonist pulls out his mostly neglected alto in "Hagar of the Inuits." He improvises solo for a couple of minutes before a call-and-response exchange with Clayton whose knotty chords deliberately draw on Monk before Lloyd quotes briefly from John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Wilson slips in spiky blues runs dictating the pianist's shift to a 21st century take on boogie woogie. "Jaramillo Blues (For Virginia Jaramillo and Danny Johnson)" was composed for two artists she's a painter,he's a sculptor. Lloyd leads this swinging 12-bar blues with the flute. Wilson's chordal vamps bridge Clayton's rhythmic keyboard. It's bright, with lots of subtle movement and tonal shading underneath. The sequential exchanges and turnarounds between pianist and guitarist are canny. Wilson's massive wall of shapes offers abundant textural support for Clayton's punchy, walking chordal solo. He seamlessly shifts to comping as the guitarist offers an elegantly articulated solo that touches on the jazz guitar's history from Charlie Christian to T-Bone Walker to Jim Hall.

Lloyd rejoins for the last few minutes as the conversation becomes sprightly and jovial. Closer "Kuan Yin" is titled for the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion she is known as Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. Clayton introduces it by playing percussively, dampening the lower strings from inside the piano. He follows by establishing a minor-key rhumba rhythm with Wilson before Lloyd tentatively introduces the melody. Before long, he ratchets its intensity as the pianist cascades single-note runs and illustrative chords with colorful, gorgeously toned rhythmic articulation from the guitarist. Behind Lloyd they build to a dynamic group crescendo before whispering to a fade. Ocean offers a document of spontaneously created music-making of a very high order. A snapshot of a moment in time, the energy, creativity, and surprise offered here are a delight. By Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/trios-ocean-mw0003770629

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute – Charles Lloyd; Guitar – Anthony Wilson; Piano – Gerald Clayton

Trios: Ocean

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Charles Lloyd - Trios: Sacred Thread

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:56
Size: 89,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:19) 1. Desolation Sound
(4:13) 2. Guman
(9:23) 3. Nachekita's Lament
(1:54) 4. Saraswati
(7:51) 5. Kuti
(8:48) 6. Tales of Rumi
(3:25) 7. The Blessing

This is the third and final album in Blue Note's Charles Lloyd-dedicated ‘Trio of Trios’ series, with the orchestrally-resourceful guitarist Julian Lage joining mindbendingly multi-tasking percussion legend Zakir Hussain in conversation with the 84 year-old US reeds maestro.

Sacred Thread represents the Trio series' most radical departure from the freeboppish or bluesily grooving soundscapes of its predecessors Chapel, and Ocean a more open global-musical trip, as well as an homage to Lloyd's decades-long devotion to the spirituality of the East. Mutual empathy is plain from the opening ‘Desolation Sound’, with its deep-hooting tenor ballad statement punctuated by the leader's characteristically fast-wriggling fills spinning off dolorous long tones.

Hussain's reverentially tender singing is shadowed by Lage's chord chimes on ‘Guman’, 'Nachekita's Lament' is a meditation for billowing flute tones, slow chanting and brooding guitar rejoinders that becomes a catchy tabla-driven canter. Lloyd plays the mournful soprano sax-like tárogató on ‘Saraswati’ (mostly with only gentle gong-sounds fitful tabla-rhythm flickers for company), Hussain's voice and Lloyd's vaporous flute share the initially ballad-like ‘Kuti’ before a groove much more suggestive of the hi-life star of the title emerges to draw a boldly skidding break from Lage. ‘Tales of Rumi’ invites an enthralling Hussain long intro of racing rhythms and whoopy voicelike accents before it becomes a tenor-led folk dance, and a quietly impassioned Lloyd-Lage dialogue on ‘The Blessing’ wraps up a real gem, even by the octogenarian California jazz guru's standards.
By John Fordham https://www.jazzwise.com/review/charles-lloyd-trios-sacred-thread

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (ts, fl); Julian Lage (g); Zakir Hussain (perc)

Trios: Sacred Thread

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Charles Lloyd - Trios: Chapel

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:52
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:23) 1. Blood Count
( 9:00) 2. Song My Lady Sings
( 7:19) 3. Ay Amor
( 9:49) 4. Beyond Darkness
(12:19) 5. Dorotea's Studio

Blue Note Records has a history of boasting strong stables of players. In the 1950s and 60s, we could look to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and if ever there was an incomplete list compiled, that one is it. Time rolls on. Twenty years (or thereabouts) into the new millennium, the label hosts an all-star roster once again pianist Gerald Clayton, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, sax man Immanuel Wilkins, guitarist Julian Lage, and to wrap up another partial listing veteran saxophonist Charles Lloyd.

At eighty-four years of age, Lloyd after a sixty-plus year career that includes album releases on Atlantic, Columbia and ECM Records, Warner Music extends his twenty-first century connection with Blue Note Records via a "Trio of Trios," three separate trio albums, featuring three different groups of players, released one at a time on different dates over a mid-to-late 2022 time span.

The first of these, Trios: Chapel, was named for the San Antonio, Texas, Elizabeth Coates Chapel in which it was recorded. Lloyd's choice of bandmates: guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan, a duo teaming responsible for a pair of gorgeous and understated ECM albums, Small Town (2017) and Epistrophy (2019). In addition, Frisell is a member of Lloyd's other Blue Note recording group, the Marvels; so there is a connection, a built-in rapport at play in the spontaneous-sounding set of tunes.

Overall, the group displays a light touch, making buoyant and delicately pretty sounds that vibrate in an understated chapel resonance. An obvious parallel is with the Paul Motian recordings the drummer did with saxophonist Joe Lovano and Frisell for ECM Records: It Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago (1985) and I Have The Room Above Her (2005). Lloyd's sound is gentle, bird-like (not Charlie Parker "bird-like," but possessed of an actual ornithological elocution), opening with the prettiest version of Billy Strayhorn's "Bloodcount" imaginable. Frisell is succinct, his notes and chords ringing clear and true, unembellished, while Morgan's deft underpinnings offer a perfect support without calling out for attention.

Dreamy, compelling, non-propulsive sounds that exist outside of time, as a sort of soundtrack to some kind of tranquil enlightenment, or as a testament to "right now."
By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trios-chapel-charles-lloyd-blue-note-records

Personnel: Charles Lloyd: saxophone, alto flute; Bill Frisell: guitar, electric; Thomas Morgan: bass, acoustic.

Trios: Chapel

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Charles Lloyd and The Marvels - Tone Poem

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:51
Size: 160,9 MB
Art: Front

( 3:10) 1. Peace
( 4:58) 2. Ramblin'
( 6:17) 3. Anthem
( 6:30) 4. Dismal Swamp
( 9:02) 5. Tone Poem
(10:24) 6. Monk's Mood
(10:03) 7. Ay Amor - Live
(10:48) 8. Lady Gabor
( 8:34) 9. Prayer

Charles Lloyd and The Marvels' April 2017 performance at UCLA's Royce Hall, with guest vocalist Lucinda Williams, was nothing but highlights from Lloyd's dance moves across the stage as one or other of his bandmates soloed, to Williams' impassioned performances on such songs as Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" and Jimi Hendrix's "Angel." They also played a song by The Beach Boys. ("In My Room"). But the night really got going when the band played about fifteen minutes of Ornette Coleman material, shifting from a reverent version of "Peace" to an extended rendition of "Ramblin,'" the great rhythm-and-blues inflected song that Lloyd himself, in his short-lived mid-1960s quartet with Gabor Szabo, covered as "Goin' to Memphis," and which provided an occasion for Lloyd and his Marvels Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel, bassist Reuben Rogers on bass, and drummer Eric Harland to rock the rafters in an auditorium where, with an equally packed house, Coleman himself performed in 2010. As it turns out, Lloyd and the Marvels were warming up for 2021's Tone Poem (Blue Note), which kicks off with "Peace" and a shorter, but no less incendiary, rendition of "Ramblin.'"

With the Marvels, Lloyd seems be circling back around the repertoire of his quartet with Szabo: on its first outing, I Long To See You (Blue Note, 2016) the former group played a sizzling version of "Of Course, Of Course," the title song of the Lloyd-Gabor unit's only album; while on Tone Poem, in addition to summoning "Ramblin'" / "Goin' to Memphis," Lloyd and company revisit Gabor's serpentine, restless composition, "Lady Gabor," which the two musicians first played near the end of their tenure in drummer Chico Hamilton's group and continued to perform live circa 1965, as documented on their recorded performances with Ron Carter and Pete La Roca, released as Charles Lloyd: Manhattan Stories (Resonance Records, 2014).

None of the Marvels an ensemble of all-stars is a stand-in for members of Lloyd's 1965 quartet; nevertheless, Frisell and Leisz, with their stringed instruments, provide a tangle of sound in and out of which Lloyd's flute weaves, hypnotically, while Rogers and Harland deepen the song's rhythmic mysteries. "Lady Gabor" is the "Dark Star" of '60s jazz, but it might be more accurate to call "Dark Star" the "Lady Gabor" of psychedelic rock especially since Lloyd also played Gabor's opus with his better-known quartet of the late '60s in mainstream rock venues and pop music festivals. The version on Tone Poem is not a throwback, however, but a renewal for the twenty-first century. Although Lloyd solos memorably on "Lady Gabor," on the title song, and elsewhere on Tone Poem, the sound he and the Marvels achieve doesn't rely on any one individual's playing. Lloyd can rivet this listener's attention by simply simply playing a song's melody line, as he does on a rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Anthem." There's music for everyone on Tone Poem; and by "everyone" that doesn't mean jazz listeners only, but every human being.~ ERIC GUDAS https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tone-poem-charles-lloyd-blue-note-records

Personnel: Charles Lloyd: saxophone; Bill Frisell: guitar, electric; Greg Leisz: guitar, steel; Eric Harland: drums; Rueben Rogers: bass.

Tone Poem

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Charles Lloyd - Voice In The Night

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:15
Size: 157,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:30)  1. Voice In The Night
( 4:42)  2. God Give Me Strength
( 7:45)  3. Dorotea's Studio
( 5:57)  4. Requiem
(11:41)  5. Pocket Full of Blues
( 9:26)   6. Homage
(15:22)  7. Forest Flower: Sunrise / Sunset
( 6:49)   8. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

Voice in the Night is a welcome homecoming for reedman Charles Lloyd. He hasn't recorded in a guitar-based group since his two tremendously underrated (and rockish) albums for A&M in 1972-73. Here, he also pleasingly revisits a good deal of his earlier (and still his most personable) material: "Forest Flower," from the famed quartet days of the late 60s, "Voice in the Night" and in the "Pocket Full of Blues" medley, "Island Blues" and "Little Sister's Dance." With the advantage of hindsight, Lloyd seems to sound warmer, somewhat romantic and a touch more inspired than usual with a guitar. Pianists seem to bring out Lloyd's more aggressive Coltrane-ish side and often permit him to easily dabble in longer, spacier themes with exotic instrumentation. Even though he sticks to tenor throughout here (his exceptional flute playing is sorely missed coupled with John Abercrombie's sensistive accompaniment), Lloyd sounds just right here: swinging and having fun too. This all-star aggregate, featuring Abercrombie on guitar, Dave Holland on bass and Billy Higgins on drums, recalls the other supergroup Lloyd captured on 1965's superb Of Course, Of Course (Columbia, not on CD). The earlier date featured iconoclastic guitarist Gabor Szabo, an excellent foil for any of Lloyd's moods (Szabo came to the Chico Hamilton group Lloyd directed at Lloyd's insistence in the early 1960s), with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Lloyd, Abercrombie and Holland bring a far different, mellowed perspective to this music.

Voice in the Night suffers none of the austerity that rules much of ECM's recordings and a few of Lloyd's previous five ECM releases. Aside from toe-tapping interplay on the familiar songs, Lloyd and company offer lovely covers of Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" and, surprisingly, last year's Burt Bachrach/Elvis Costello hit, "God Give Me Strength." Quite often, though, the most interesting moments come on Lloyd's newest material: the off-kilter calypso of "Dorotea's Studio," "Homage" (a sterling Abercrombie showpiece) and "Requiem." However, anyone familiar with Lloyd's magisterial "Forest Flower" from the Chico Hamilton days, or, more likely from the famed quartet days, will certainly want to hear the beautiful version Lloyd, Abercrombie, Holland and Higgins offer here. It's worth the price of admission. Here's hoping the somewhat reclusive Lloyd is planning a sequel to Voice in the Night. This is a quartet that offers much to explore. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/voice-in-the-night-charles-lloyd-ecm-records-review-by-douglas-payne.php?width=1920

Players:  Charles Lloyd: tenor sax; John Abercrombie: guitar; Dave Holland: double bass; Billy Higgins: drums, percussion.

Voice In The Night

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Charles Lloyd - Lift Every Voice Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Lift Every Voice Disc 1

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:19
Size: 141,8 MB
Art: Front

(15:00)  1. Hymn To The Mother
( 4:05)  2. You Are So Beautiful
( 4:42)  3. Amazing Grace
( 9:40)  4. East Virginia, West Memphis
( 5:07)  5. What's Going On
( 3:33)  6. Angel Oak
( 6:47)  7. Te Amaré
( 7:38)  8. I'm Afraid
( 4:43)  9. Hafez, Shattered Heart

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Album: Lift Every Voice Disc 2

Time: 69:07

Size: 159,6 MB

( 7:05)  1. Rabo De Nube

( 5:06)  2. Blood Count

(10:37)  3. Go Down Moses

( 7:51)  4. Beyond Darkness

( 6:12)  5. Nocturne

( 8:35)  6. Wayfaring Stranger

( 6:25)  7. Deep River

( 3:08)  8. Lift Every Voice And Sing

(14:03)  9. Prayer, The Crossing

The initial response of most Americans to the tragedy of September 11th was shock, quickly followed by anger. While many maintain that anger, others have moved on to mourning, contemplation, and hope. Such is the mood for Charles Lloyd’s recording, over two hours of introspection and spiritual resurrection. This recording of two sessions from the winter of 2002 follows two of the most beautiful records Lloyd has ever made. Both The Water Is Wide (2000) and Hyperion With Higgins (2001) showcase Lloyd’s spiritual side and, as these were some of the last recordings made by drummer Billy Higgins, they have an supernatural deliberation about them. In the wake of the events of 9-11, Lloyd reassembled Larry Grenadier and John Abercrombie from the Higgins’ dates and added Geri Allen, and long time companions Billy Hart and Marc Johnson. Lloyd worked these sessions as a quartet with Allen, Grenadier and Hart, then a quintet adding Abercrombie and switching bassists to Johnson. Perusing the titles Lloyd’s purpose becomes apparent. His response to the tragedy is one of lament, longing, and faith. His creed is interdenominational, and multi-racial. He covers music of spirituals, “Deep River,” “Go Down Moses,” and “Amazing Grace,” alongside of the Negro National Anthem as the albums title piece and Islamic poet’s “Hafez, Shattered Heart.” Lloyd’s “Moses” has a certain sense of anger before settling into a comforting blues. His solo taragato on “Hafez” applies a patient yet unresolved inquiry into the Eastern experience of world events. Along with traditional music he plies his own craft, that is jazz, to these statements. Recalling a peaceful response he takes up Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and Billy Preston’s “You Are So Beautiful.” No grandstanding is allowed here or on any of these tracks. The melodies are touched on with a minimum of soloing as if to focus on the message and not the musician. It’s not that these talented musicians are held back. This disc reminds one of John Coltrane’s ballads recording where less was more. Bringing forth Allen and Abercrombie’s spiritual/folk side is a valued gift. Lloyd’s largess here is his sincerity. The distinctness of this music is a break from the artificiality of many responses to 9-11. Lloyd’s belief in humanity and reliance on the healing and redemptive qualities of music propels this compassionate recording. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lift-every-voice-charles-lloyd-ecm-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel:  Charles Lloyd - tenor saxophone, flute, tarogato; Geri Allen - piano; John Abercrombie - guitar; Marc Johnson - double bass; Larry Grenadier - double bass; Billy Hart - drums

Lift Every Voice Disc 1 And Disc 2

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Chico Hamilton - Man From Two Worlds (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1964/2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:32
Size: 155,5 MB
Scans: Front

( 6:02)  1. Man from Two Worlds
( 3:28)  2. Blues Medley
(10:36)  3. Forest Flower
( 3:52)  4. Child's Play
( 4:34)  5. Blues for O.T.
( 4:50)  6. Mallet Dance
( 3:49)  7. Love Song to a Baby
( 8:19)  8. Passin' Thru
( 2:45)  9. Transfusion
(13:18) 10. Lady Gabor
( 5:53) 11. Lonesome Child

This album actually combines two Chico Hamilton releases, namely Man from Two Worlds and Passin' Thru. There is great compositional range on this album, even though nine out the ten tunes were written by a single author (saxophonist Charles Lloyd). Some of these compositions spin off on an avant-garde tangent, while others are more direct and harmonically familiar. The title track is basically an extended jam, though there is a Monk-like main theme that is used to begin and end the tune. Clearly, this piece is influenced by Indian music, and guitarist Gabor Szabo best illustrates the exotic, modal leanings of this composition through his sitar-influenced solo. On the other hand, "Forest Flower" is much more harmonious and easy to follow. Using standard jazz chords and a catchy melody, this tune is much less demanding on the ear. As its the title implies, Man from Two Worlds really does focus on two distinct "worlds" of jazz, and is the perfect listen for all those who crave musical diversity. ~ Rovi Staff https://www.allmusic.com/album/man-from-two-worlds-mw0000098978

Personnel:  Chico Hamilton – drums; Charles Lloyd – tenor saxophone, flute; Gábor Szabó – guitar; Albert Stinson – bass; George Bohanon – trombone (tracks 8-11)

Man From Two Worlds

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Cannonball Adderley - Live!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:29)  1. Little Boy With The Sad Eyes
( 8:54)  2. Work Song
( 6:46)  3. Sweet Georgia Bright
(15:24)  4. The Song My Lady Sings
( 1:19)  5. Theme

Cannonball Adderley Live! is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at Shelly's Manne-Hole and released on the Capitol label featuring performances by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Charles Lloyd, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 (out of 5) stars and states: "When Riverside Records went into bankruptcy, Adderley signed with Capitol, a label whose interest in jazz ... tended to be short-lived. 

As a result, Cannonball's recordings would become more commercial as the 1960s developed but this early Capitol effort is quite good. Charles Lloyd had just joined Adderley's Sextet and his tenor and flute were major assets" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Adderley_Live!

Personnel:  Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone; Nat Adderley - cornet; Charles Lloyd - tenor saxophone, flute; Joe Zawinul - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Louis Hayes - drums

Live!

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Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Lucinda Williams - Vanished Gardens

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 167.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz, Roots
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[ 8:41] 1. Defiant
[ 7:58] 2. Dust
[ 9:03] 3. Vanished Gardens
[ 6:22] 4. Ventura
[ 6:17] 5. Ballad Of The Sad Young Men
[ 6:30] 6. We've Come Too Far To Turn Around
[ 5:38] 7. Blues For Langston And Larue
[11:40] 8. Unsuffer Me
[ 5:15] 9. Monk's Mood
[ 5:53] 10. Angel

Renowned saxophonist Charles Lloyd and singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams bring the best of their musical worlds to "Vanished Gardens," a dazzling blend of jazz tunes glowing like embers and Williams' intricately poetic songs. Lloyd establishes a reflective mood right from the start on opening ballad "Defiant," with Bill Frisell's guitar and Greg Leisz's pedal steel laying foundations for his tenor saxophone, along with the other two Marvels, drummer Eric Harland and bassist Reuben Rogers. Frisell and Leisz each take solo turns, but their playing, each from one channel of the stereo spectrum, often feels more like a duet. Near its conclusion, Lloyd returns front and center to add some more delicate melodies. The track's nearly nine minutes coast by so brilliantly, in just another five, ideas to solve half your problems surely would have sprung from it.

Williams makes her entrance on track two, "Dust," and while the reflections remain inspired, Lloyd's sax is anguished and darkness is hovering: "You couldn't cry if you wanted to/Even your thoughts are dust." Williams appears on five tracks, including three reinterpretations of tunes from her solo albums, one new song, and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Angel."

"We've Come Too Far to Turn Around," the new tune, has a gospel mood of people demonstrating resilience while facing a long series of mini apocalypses. On "Unsuffer Me," Williams' aching call of "My joy is dead/I long for bliss" is answered by the band in a hypnotic, bluesy jam.

Among the instrumentals, Lloyd plays the alto flute on the groovy "Blues for Langston and LaRue," while Thelonious Monk's meditative "Monk's Mood" is a captivating duet by Lloyd and Frisell. In its entirety, "Vanished Gardens" is a dynamic ensemble's testament to creativity, musicianship and independence. ~Pablo Gorondi

Vanished Gardens mc
Vanished Gardens zippy

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Charles Lloyd New Quartet - Passin' Thru

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:50
Size: 171,6 MB
Art: Front

(17:45)  1. Dream Weaver
(11:54)  2. Part 5, Ruminations
(11:51)  3. Nu Blues
( 9:46)  4. How Can I Tell You
( 7:45)  5. Tagore On The Delta
( 7:22)  6. Passin' Thru
( 8:25)  7. Shiva Prayer

On the threshold of eighty Charles Lloyd continues to show the vibrancy and energy of a thirty year old. We just finished to appreciate the collaboration with Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz and others in The Marvels Project ( I Long to See You Blue Note 2016) that the historic label announces the publication of Passin 'Thru , third his New Quartet disk with Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums. The disc comes in the tenth year of training, which released two albums for ECM - Rabo de Nube in 2008 and Mirror in 2010-and has given several concerts recently. Passin 'Thru collects seven long pieces from the summer tour 2016: six are drawn from the performance of July 29 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and one ( "Dream Weaver") from Montreux concert on June 30. The photographer recording the quartet in the prime of his understanding, with a different repertoire than in previous albums although not all songs are new: the ecumenical logic of concerts, readings of past successes -like "Dream Weaver" and "Passin 'Thru "-you alternate with original themes and ballad. The executions were the medium-long with a peak of almost 18 minutes in the initial "Dream Weaver."

We listened to the disc preview and things that strike are many. First long solos fervent and vibrant Lloyd, animated by an intense groove and exalted by its magnetic postcoltraniano sound. The great form of the leader is supported by the teaching of the partners, which in 2007 were little more than first-timers and are now leading figures in contemporary jazz. Some new songs-especially "Part 5, Ruminations" -are inventive examples of contemporary jazz, where free improvisation takes over, in line with the Lloyd's artistic identity. The attention the formal balance and melody are in fact the central sections of his style, since he debuted with Chico Hamilton in California of the sixties. At other times (exemplary "Nu Blues") the rhythmic tension becomes palpable thanks to a gripping drumming Harland and collective power that flows from it.  More traditional but not at all self-celebrative are the performances of the historical parts. "Dream Weaver" is characterized by an ecstatic introduction of coltranian footprint than six minutes particularly compelling. More colorful is "Passin 'Thru," characterized by a tight rhythmic and frantic individual interventions. The conclusion is entrusted to dilated and meditative "Shiva Prayer."~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/passin-thru-charles-lloyd-new-quartet-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, alto flute; Jason  Moran: piano; Reuben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Passin' Thru

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Charles Lloyd - Of Course, Of Course

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 128.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1966/2014
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Of Course, Of Course
[2:27] 2. The Song My Lady Sings
[5:16] 3. The Best Thing For You
[6:07] 4. The Things We Did Last Summer
[3:57] 5. Apex
[5:06] 6. One For Joan
[3:36] 7. Goin' To Memphis
[6:42] 8. Voice In The Night
[6:15] 9. Third Floor Richard
[4:53] 10. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[3:23] 11. Island Blues
[3:32] 12. Sun Dance

Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Tony Williams; Guitar – Gabor Szabo; Saxophone [Tenor], Flute – Charles Lloyd.

Charles Lloyd's second album as a leader teams him with guitarist Gabor Szabo (his old friend from the Chico Hamilton group), bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. Although Lloyd was still a member of Cannonball Adderley's group, his playing on the set shows that he was clearly ready to become a leader. Seven of the nine diverse compositions are his originals; he takes "The Things We Did Last Summer" as a duet with Szabo and rips through "Apex," a trio number without the guitarist, but it is this cut most certainly reflects Ornette Coleman's influence (whereas Lloyd and everyone else who played tenor were being written about in the shadow of Coltrane). Certainly Coltrane's flurry of notes and deconstruction of chords is evident in places, but here, it is Coleman's unshakable sense of melody and rhyme that is most prevalent, and it sports is a brief but wonderfully woody solo by Carter. Other notable selections include "Goin' to Memphis" and Sammy Kahn's "Things We Did Last Summer" (where, according to Stanley Crouch's new liner notes, the saxophonist directly quotes the melody of Coleman's "Free at 3:00 of..."). Other cuts that really stand out here are the title track and the serious blowing session of "One for Joan," where the twinning and counterpoint interplay between Szabo and Lloyd is almost synchronous. Whether on tenor or flute, Lloyd was quickly coming into his own as an original voice, and this underrated set is a minor classic. [In 2007, Mosiac Records in its Singles series, reissued the recording for the first time on CD. In addition to a beautiful remastering job that is warm and clean, there are three bonus tracks also recorded in 1965 but not released until Lloyd's Nirvana album in 1968. Two of these, "Island Blues," and "Sun Dance" feature Albert Stinson on bass and Pete La Roca on drums in place of Carter and Williams. Another oddity is that in addition to Szabo's guitar playing, the Band's Robbie Robertson makes an appearance on the Caribbean-flavored latter tune. The other bonus cut, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," uses the primary rhythm section, and was recorded for the original session, and left off the final version of the LP.] ~Scott Yanow

Of Course, Of Course

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Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - I Long To See You

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:35
Size: 155,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:02)  1. Masters Of War
( 6:02)  2. Of Course, Of Course
( 6:00)  3. La Llorona
( 6:21)  4. Shenandoah
( 7:29)  5. Sombrero Sam
( 5:00)  6. All My Trials
( 4:48)  7. Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
( 1:22)  8. Abide With Me
( 6:02)  9. You Are So Beautiful
(16:24) 10. Barche Lamsel

Saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been working with guitarists periodically since the 1950s: Calvin Newborn, Gabor Szabo, John Abercrombie, and others have played in his bands. On I Long to See You, he (with his stellar rhythm section bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland) renews that relationship with two gifted players: Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz (the latter on lap and pedal steel). This program yields folk and spiritual songs, re-recordings of Lloyd's own tunes, a pop nugget, and a new original. In what feels like the input from the label, there are two guest vocal appearances to boot: Willie Nelson beautifully delivers Ed McCurdy's antiwar classic "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," and Norah Jones offers a slow, dreamy reading of "You Are So Beautiful." I Long to See You feels more like a collaboration between Lloyd and Frisell than a leader date, which is sometimes problematic: these men can be overly deferential to one another. The album starts promisingly with a brooding read of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" that threatens to explode at any moment. Frisell and Leisz (who have worked together a lot) take it through deep winding blues, building tension before Lloyd enters and carries it toward the outside before returning to blues, while Harland's circular drumming becomes somberly hypnotic. Lloyd plays flute on "Of Course, of Course" (originally recorded for an album of the same name for Columbia in 1964). 

Like its predecessor, it's tough, swinging post-bop with colorful slide guitar work and rim-shot syncopations. "La Llorona," from Lloyd's ECM years, is a standout: it captures his open, mournful, Spanish-tinged wail, fleshed out by elegant, timbral guitars, a sad bassline, and Harland's magical timekeeping. "Shenandoah" (which Frisell has recorded before), "All My Trials," and "Abide with Me" are all melodically attractive, but they lack the undercurrent of passion Lloyd has imbued traditional material with in the past. He and Frisell appear so seduced by their melodies, they treat them as fragile objects, not songs whose meanings need to be further explored. Frisell's speculative solo intro on "Sombrero Sam" is overly long; Lloyd's rhythmic sweeping flute doesn't enter until five minutes in, and slips out too quickly. The lone new tune, "Barche Lamsel," more than compensates. Over 16 minutes in length, it's easily the most exploratory thing here. It commences slowly but starts cooking five minutes in. Lloyd and the rhythm section are at their modal improvisational best, moving through folk, funk, blues, Eastern modes, and post-bop. Frisell and Leisz lend fine solos as well as layered textural and atmospheric support. The tune is a journey that ends in a question mark. I Long to See You is well worth investigating even if, at times, it is overly tentative. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-long-to-see-you-mw0002902467

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (alto flute, tenor saxophone); Bill Frisell (guitar); Greg Leisz (steel guitar); Eric Harland (drums).

I Long To See You

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Charles Lloyd - The Water is Wide

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:27
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Georgia
(5:02)  2. The Water Is Wide
(4:36)  3. Black Butterfly
(3:45)  4. Ballade And Allegro
(5:13)  5. Figure In Blue
(5:39)  6. Lotus Blossom
(8:35)  7. The Monk And The Mermaid
(7:37)  8. Song Of Her
(7:29)  9. Lady day
(4:15) 10. Heaven
(5:13) 11. There Is A BalmIn Gilead
(4:19) 12. Prayer

Tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd pursues a slightly different angle on his new and seventh “ECM” release titled, The Water Is Wide. Lloyd continues to utilize the exemplary talents of drummer Billy Higgins and guitarist John Abercrombie, who both performed on the artist’s previous effort, Voice In The Night. While the saxophonist also enlists young wunderkind pianist Brad Mehldau and bassist Larry Grenadier who comprise two thirds of the pianist’s working trio. 

Perhaps Lloyd is plotting a new course in contrast to his earlier ethereal dreamscape style recordings as the saxophonist directs his strategies towards bluesy and moody renditions of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia” and the traditional “The Water Is Wide”, among other standards and Lloyd originals. Throughout, the saxophonist’s infamous Coltrane inspired angular attack and tantalizing inflections meld wonderfully with Mehldau’s warm, thoughtful phrasing and Abercrombie’s poignant undercurrents. Yet the combined rhythmic artistry of Billy Higgins and Larry Grenadier proves to be indispensable throughout this rather ubiquitous mix, which also includes Billy Strayhorn’s endearing “Lotus Blossom”, and Duke Ellington’s lesser known, “Heaven”.

The saxophonist’s rich melodious phrasing and soulful expressionism on Cecil McBee’s “Song Of Her” offers the optimum in softly executed sentiment and lush balladry whereas you can almost hear Billie Holiday’s voice seeping through Lloyd’s sultry and altogether deeply moving lines on his original composition, “Lady Day”. Simply put, Charles Lloyd has rarely sounded better as the musicians seemingly interrogate each other’s souls during these sixty-eight enlightening minutes. Without a doubt, The Water Is Wide should find it’s way into quite a few top ten lists for the year 2000. Highly recommended. ~ Glenn Astarita  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-water-is-wide-charles-lloyd-ecm-records-review-by-glenn-astarita__23485.php

Personnel:  Charles Lloyd; Tenor Saxophone: Brad Mehldau; Piano: John Abercrombie; Guitar: Larry Grenadier; Double-Bass: Billy Higgins; Drums

The Water is Wide

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