Record Reviews

CHARLES LLOYD ~ 8: KINDRED SPIRITS (LIVE FROM THE LOBERO THEATRE) BLUE NOTE 602508001543 (Barcode: 602508001543) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is a live album by the legendary American saxophonist / composer / bandleader Charles LloydFind albums by this artist, recorded on March 17, 2018, during Lloyd’s 80th Birthday celebration concert at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA. This standard edition presents a CD with the first set (four tracks) of the concert, which was recorded by a quintet with guitarist Julian LageFind albums by this artist, pianist Gerald ClaytonFind albums by this artist, bassist Reuben RogersFind albums by this artist and drummer Eric HarlandFind albums by this artist. The DVD included in the digibook presents the same content. Three of the tracks are original compositions by Lloyd and one is a traditional tune arranged by Lloyd. The playing time of two tracks is around twenty minutes each and the other two tracks around ten minutes each. A Limited Edition Box Set of this concert, which was also released, includes the entire concert, including the second set (eight tracks), which features guest players: organist Booker T. JonesFind albums by this artist and bassist Don WasFind albums by this artist (Blue NoteFind albums on this label Records President), which sadly is brutally expensive. The music is, as expected, insanely beautiful and offers a sublime example of the surviving skills of Lloyd, who is undoubtedly one the greatest American Jazz musicians of all time, and who, despite his advanced age, sounds completely relevant today, as he did throughout his entire career. His beautiful tone, improvisational skills and contemporary / modernist approach to Jazz enables him to perform with young Jazz musicians, like Lage, without any generation gap incompatibilities. These extended improvisation tracks emphasize Lloyd’s wonderful ability to combine melody and Free Improvisations in a unique way, which makes the Free aspects of the music to sound completely accessible to listeners, who normally would not be able to listen to music with such degree of Freedom. Overall, this is a monumental piece of contemporary American Jazz, which sadly very rarely achieves such level of sophistication, authenticity and freshness these days. Hopefully, the full concert will be available on CD at a reasonable price soon, as hiding it for rich snobs who can afford it, is hardly an appropriate way to popularize Art.

Updated: 31/05/2026Posted: 31/05/2026

CD+DVD 2 Digibook Recommend To A Friend

CHARLES LLOYD ~ TRIOS: OCEAN BLUE NOTE 602445266814 (Barcode: 602445266814) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the second album in the series of “Trio of Trios” albums by the legendary American Jazz saxophonist / flautist / composer / bandleader Charles LloydFind albums by this artist, recorded with pianist Gerald ClaytonFind albums by this artist and guitarist Anthony WilsonFind albums by this artist. The album presents four tracks, all composed by Lloyd. One of the true “last of the Mohicans” of American Jazz, Charles Lloyd (born in 1938), remains still at his full capacity and his recording legacy keeps growing, now at his advanced age, more rapidly than during earlier periods of his life. Highly productive phases of recording for the ECMFind albums on this label label and lately for Blue NoteFind albums on this label are just exploding with creativity, vitality and aesthetic beauty, in complete disregard of his age, created often with musicians less than half his age, like Clayton on this album. This album offers a highly melodic, almost romantic music, with some Bluesy tendencies, which features Lloyd playing floatingly, playfully and as always masterly, supported amicably mostly by the piano, with the guitar being less dominant on this album. Lloyd is undisputedly the main soloist and the lengthy tracks allow him to perform wave after wave of improvisation, which stays respectfully within the melodic and harmonic framework. Clayton, as usual, keeps close to the well paved mainstream trickery, while Wilson adds some beautiful melodic layers, but they both respectfully leave the center stage to the Guru. It is pretty amazing to hear Lloyd in such superb form, which defies any speculations about aging musicians. His tone is still crystal clear, and the notes appear in a perfect flow, without the slightest hesitance, with the Master being in total control at all time. Overall, this is a beautiful piece of Jazz music, serene and lyrical, which flows gently and gracefully, as if time is of no substance. Of course all three albums in this series, although completely different from each other, are equally worthwhile and recommended.

Updated: 31/07/2024Posted: 19/02/2024

CD 1 Digisleeve Recommend To A Friend