Record Reviews

CHARLES LLOYD ~ MIRROR ECM 2176 (Barcode: 602527404998) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 The series of albums recorded for the ECMFind albums on this label label since 1990 by US saxophonist / composer Charles LloydFind albums by this artist, of which this is the 14th, is a wonderful portrait of an Artist, showing his consistent excellence and dedication on one hand and his constant development and search of new forms of artistic / aesthetic expression on the other. His music, deeply rooted on the American Jazz tradition, was always open to new influences over the years, like World Music or Rock, as well as the readiness to work with new generations of musicians, always selecting the very best, sensitive and sympathetic collaborators. This album was recorded by the same quartet, which recorded the previous album, but this is a studio recording and the previous was a live recording. It comprises of pianist Jason MoranFind albums by this artist, bassist Reuben RogersFind albums by this artist and drummer Eric HarlandFind albums by this artist. The music includes a mixture of Lloyd originals, his arrangement of traditional songs and a few standards, including two superbly executed Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist compositions. In complete disregard of his age, Lloyd sounds strong and confident, with his beautiful tone intact. The young players with his keep a respectful distance from the Master when supporting him and fully expose their abilities when given solo spots. One simply can´t go wrong with a Charles Lloyd album, and this one is no exception. So let´s savor the moment for as long as his creative stream continues. Great stuff!

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CHARLES LLOYD ~ RABO DE NUBE ECM 2053 (Barcode: 602517548114) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is a live recording by American saxophonist / flautist / composer Charles LloydFind albums by this artist and his quartet which includes pianist Jason MoranFind albums by this artist, bassist Reuben RogersFind albums by this artist and drummer Eric HarlandFind albums by this artist. They perform together seven compositions, six of which are Lloyd´s originals and the title track was composed by the great Cuban musician / composer Silvio RodriguezFind albums by this artist. Of all the great Jazz heroes of my youth, Lloyd seems to be the very last Mohican still alive and kicking, as if he was living in a time capsule; time has been very kind to him and his vitality and amazing talent flourish completely untouched and unblemished. A while ago I listened to all the mid to late 1960s recordings by the Charles Lloyd legendary quartet with pianist Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist, bassists Ron McClureFind albums by this artist / Cecil McBeeFind albums by this artist and drummer Jack DeJohnetteFind albums by this artist and that music sounds even better today than it sounded then, and in parallel Lloyd is able to play the way he does now, four decades later. This is simply amazing! Of course the fact that Lloyd manages to surround himself with some of the absolutely best young and upcoming musicians (as he always did) is part of the secret formula. Moran is a major contender to the exclusive top Jazz pianists "club" and the rhythm section is also inspired and technically very proficient. Most importantly however is the fact that they show an immense respect for the Master, supporting his at all times sympathetically and unpretentiously, waiting for their solo spots patiently. Staying contemporary for five decades is definitely a super rare ability, so thank God for Charles Lloyd and his music.

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CHARLES LLOYD / MARIA FARANTOURI ~ ATHENS CONCERT ECM 2205/06 (Barcode: 602527678337) ~ USA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 A meeting of two musical Colossi: legendary US saxophonist / composer Charles LloydFind albums by this artist and no less legendary Greek singer Maria FarantouriFind albums by this artist, known worldwide not only a Greece´s first Lady of song but also as her country´s voice of conscience and political activism. Farantouri´s association with Greek national composer Mikis TheodorakisFind albums by this artist since the 1960s has placed her both in the centre of the country´s cultural life and its political struggle for liberty. Lloyd and Farantouri developed a close personal friendship over many years, which resulted in exposing him to Greek culture, history and of course music. Slowly they collected material they could perform together, which eventually let to this magical evening of music, captured live in the footsteps of the Acropolis. The participants include also the members of the Charles Lloyd quartet: pianist Jason MoranFind albums by this artist, bassist Reuben RogersFind albums by this artist and drummer Eric HarlandFind albums by this artist and two Greek musicians: Socratis SinopoulosFind albums by this artist on lyra and Takis FarazisFind albums by this artist on piano. Together these seven Artists create a universe of music so beautiful and aesthetically fulfilling that it leaves the listener completely awestruck and overwhelmed. Of course the marriage of Jazz with other forms of music like Folklore, World Music or Classical is quite common these days, but some of these attempts definitely work better than others. This one works wonderfully and presents not only a perfect amalgam of different musical traditions but also a perfect marriage of music and words, or in more global sense a cultural melting pot of rare magnitude. Thousands of years of human history, from ancient Greece to now, and thousands of miles linking Africa, Europe and America, all come together here, symbolizing the universality of the human culture, which knows no borders, no nations and no disparity. In the world completely obsessed with total decadence and complete lack of any values, cultural and moral, people who are able to make such artistic statement as this one should be cherished and applauded and I humbly join the ones who do just that. A strikingly beautiful piece of music!

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