Once again, as he has so often in his long and distinguished career, the saxophonist has recorded an album that captures the essence of jazz in a set that is full of surprises.
Blue Note 0060247844192
Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone, alto flute, tárogató); Jason Moran (piano, shakers); Martin Sewell (guitar)
Now in his 88yh year, Charles Lloyd is still making beautiful music in his own inimitable way. The notes produced from his tenor saxophone appear as if from nowhere, and encompassing the entire range of the instrument I could quite willingly bask in the sound of the tenor throughout this two CD set.
In fact, that is exactly what Lloyd serves up on disc 1, and the soundscape of the three instruments is as rich and vibrant as one would expect. If Lloyd has spent some considerable time exploring the trio line up with different instrumentation of late the format always seems to offer up fresh possibilities both for the saxophonist and the listener.
Jason Moran has been in Lloyd’s orbit for the last two decades and it goes without saying that the rapport they have built up is integral to the music. Likewise with guitarist Marvin Sewell who not only spins out some lovely solos but also weaves his accompaniment in and out of the saxophone and piano lines with great skill and incredible ears for what is going on around him, and this is the beauty of this wonderful album.
This is a true trio album; a collective of like-minded individuals who are able react on an almost telepathic nature that breathes life into the music while also presenting an air of tension as how to the music will evolve that is quite delicious.
At this juncture in his career Lloysd has a wealth of experience to draw on, and a rich understanding of the music’s history (and helped write much of it in the last sixty years). It is therefore fitting that Duke Ellington feature prominently with the trio performing two of Duke’s compositions in ‘Heaven’ and ‘Black Butterfly’ and Lloyd dedicates his composition ‘Figure In Blue, memories of Duke’ to the great man in readings that are expressive and beautifully played.
Except for the Bernstein/Sondheim composition ‘Somewhere’ the rest of the music is composed by Lloyd. He delivers up a couple of fine blues compositions in ‘Chulahoma’ and ‘Blues For Langston’ (with some wonderful alto flute from Lloyd) that Sewell makes the most of with some telling guitar, and a tribute to Billie Holiday, ‘The Ghost of Lady Day’; but for me it is the exquisite ‘Hymn To The Mother, for Zakir’ dedicated to the late great Zakir Hussain the excellent Sangam album for ECM. Throughout this tender reading you can almost feel Hussain’s tabla and percussion.
Once again, as he has so often in his long and distinguished career, the saxophonist has recorded an album that captures the essence of jazz in a set that is full of surprises.
