Jazz Articles about Charles Lloyd

Charles Lloyd/Billy Higgins: Which Way Is East

by Mark F. Turner
April 12, 2004

Which Way Is East documents a simply magical recording between two lifelong musicians and friends: saxophonist Charles Lloyd and drummer Billy Higgins. The recording is significant for a number of reasons. Besides the musical affinity the two musicians shared, a spiritual bond also permeated their music. Having collaborated many years on numerous projects their recent efforts on ECM with Voice In The Night, The Water is Wide, and Hyperion With Higgins, the newly released Which Way Is East would be ...

Charles Lloyd/Billy Higgins: Which Way Is East

by John Kelman
April 10, 2004

There has always been an inherent spiritual element in Charles Lloyd's work, but nowhere as overt as on Which Way is East , a series of duets recorded with drummer and, as it turns out, multi-instrumentalist Billy Higgins, who passed away only four months after these sessions were recorded. In the liner notes Higgins is quoted as saying, “Everybody got to go sometime. But it's a drag if I have to come back and do this all over again. I ...

Charles Lloyd: A Reporter of Life's Experience

by AAJ Staff
November 6, 2003

Submitted on behalf of Charles Lloyd At 65, approaching my 66th year, I am playing with one of the greatest bands I have had. Geri Allen, Robert Hurst, Eric Harland and on special occasions we make it a quintet with John Abercrombie. Each time we play together the waters get deeper and more thrilling for me. My job is to keep the boat afloat and pointed toward the other shore - to report on ...

Charles Lloyd: Forest Flower

by John Ballon
November 2, 2003

Recorded live at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1966, Forest Flower was the jazz soundtrack of the Flower Power movement. Always accessible and majestic, the Charles Lloyd Quartet was recorded here at the peak of its powers. The title track, “Forest Flower," actually is split into two parts, “Sunrise" and “Sunset," which merge together seamlessly to form a single piece of astonishing unity, with Charles Lloyd, Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee, and Jack DeJonette playing beyond the point of empathy. There ...

Subconscious Chatting

by AAJ Staff
February 15, 2003

I must start out with a load of thanks to my friend Scott Dolan of Missouri who sent me an interesting little aside which appealed to me so much that I decided to write an article on it... Here it goes : it seems recently a friend of Scott's sent him an e-mail and they were discussing the merits and functions of free jazz. They were talking about how odd it was that they both got quite similar feelings and ...

Charles Lloyd: Lift Every Voice

by Mark Corroto
November 1, 2002

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 ...

Charles Lloyd: Lift Every Voice

by Mark F. Turner
October 15, 2002

There exists a timeless and pure quality to the music of jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd that is refreshing and reverent. Like a fine wine that gets better with age, such is the case with his vision and musical purpose. Coming off last year’s highly acclaimed effort Hyperion for Higgins, Lloyd continues his statement for the endearing passion that burns within on Lift Every Voice And Sing. The new recording declares an uplifting empathy of the spirit by using a mixture ...