Charles Lloyd just goes from strength to strength. His brand of soulful jazz has enlivened me for decades. His current band is outstanding - their live performances are thrilling. Highly recommended.
I saw Charles Lloyd with this quartet last year so it was a real pleasure to find a live recording. He has done so much over the years, from his ever-popular Forest Flower to his recent foray with Zakir Hussain on Sangam. I'm not quite sure what amazon means by "first live quartet album," as he has recorded many live albums, including one of my favorites, A Night In Copenhagen, in 1983.
There are so many good things to say about this recording. It flows naturally and beautifully from start to finish with Lloyd never seeming to miss a beautiful note. He has to have one of the purest tones in jazz. Jason Moran is a wonderful addition to the quartet, replacing Geri Allen on piano. Eric Harland is first rate on drums and Reuben Rogers fills out the young rhythm section on bass. Lloyd presides over the group like a divining force, drawing on a rich legacy of music from the mighty Prometheus to the title song, Rabo de Nube. Lloyd seems a natural on the world stage as he has long had a global vision, having broken the iron curtain many years ago with his band in Tallinn (1970) that included Keith Jarrett and Jack de Johhnette.
I wholeheartedly endorse the comments of degrant: this is an absolutely fantastic disc and Charles Lloyd's best of recent times. Part of that has to do with the fact that 'Rabo de Nube' is a live recording. There is just something really special about listening to four musicians hitting sparks off one another in a live setting when this works. This disc captures the spontaneity and 'in-the-moment' quality beautifully - what a great night this must have been in Basle! Another reason why this is so good is in the electric mix of the personalities themselves. What gives the disc such impetus to my mind is above all the contrast and interplay between Lloyds ethereal, sometimes meandering, sometimes floating, but always expressive playing on saxophone and flute and Jason Moran's propulsive piano playing. In fact, it is Moran who is the real revelation on this recording. If his own records on Blue Note sometimes feel too clever for their own good, he is simply on fire here, from the edgy funk of 'Booker's Garden', through the Monk-meets-Free-Jazz intro and solo on 'La Colline de Monk' to the hard bop edge of 'Georgia Bright'. Favourite tracks? 'Promotheus', 'Migration of Spirit', the funky 'Booker's Garden' (Lloyd is great on the flute here), 'La Colline de Monk' and the lush 'Rabo de Nube'. The sound is good too: the next best thing to having Charles Lloyd in your living room. In all, magic.
Tout le son de Charles Lloyd est là et l'entente des 4 est grandiose. Entrez dans le Jardin (N°3) vous allez comprendre ! Jason Moran est énorme au piano. Merci Charles.