For over six decades, tenor saxophonist/flautist and composer Charles Lloyd has enjoyed a most luminous career. His musical concepts incorporating varied genres of music have played an influential role in pollinating the rich, fertile foundation of jazz.
While many of his albums ignite his fans, the album that remains the most significant to me was his 1966 recording of “Forest Flower Live” at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The quartet consisted of the accelerating young gun pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Although they had only been together for under one year, they were an intuitive force implementing a lively, colorful mosaic of defining textures that took me on an uncharted improvisational journey through his magic music forest from “Sunrise” to “Sunset.”
Philosophically speaking, Lloyd’s prominent career has continually grown, similarly to the forest flower; they are both diverse with bright colors, his style formulated from world music to his days with blues musicians Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and R&B singer Johnny Ace; Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderley, the Beach Boys, Lucinda Williams; and his Greek playing partner Maria Farantouri. His music, like the forest flower, is intricate and complex, with a hip abandonment, yet the flower offers that prickly stem—the crashing cymbals; the wild, sometimes wallin’ sax riffs; that sharp edge from playing with Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and Don Cherry. And, like the forest flower, Lloyd has never stopped growing, or delighting enthusiasts, students, and musicians around the world.
On October 13–14, the NEA Jazz Master will give us an opportunity to bear witness to stunning performances live at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater (60th Street at Broadway), as he celebrates his 85th birthday with two separate all-star bands on each night. Lloyd opens on October 13 with his noted Trio Sangam, featuring percussionist Zakir Hussain and drummer Eric Harland. On October 14, the saxophonist brings his longtime celebrated New Quartet, with pianist Jason Moran, drummer Eric Harland, and bassist Reuben Rogers. Both shows are at 8 p.m.
Lloyd has led an impressive list of groups, including Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, which featured various musicians, from guitarist Bill Frisell (Tone Poem, Blue Note, 2021) to country/ blues singer Lucinda Williams (Vanished Gardens, Blue Note 2018), and his noted trios with Trio: Ocean featuring pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson (Blue Note, 2022); Trio: Sacred Thread with guitarist Julian Lage and percussionist Hussain; as well as his EMI recording of duets with his longtime friend and drummer Billy Higgins on the album Which Way is East.
His diversified music repertoire spans six decades, from the flower child movement of love and peace, to Black Power, to President Obama, Black Lives Matter, and Coco Gauff, and now has me wondering what the two bands will be performing. Since Lloyd remains compelled to move forward, he may or may not treat audiences to many of his standards, such as “Dream Weaver,” “How Can I Tell You,” “Sweet Georgia Bright,” “Of Course, Of Course,” and, for my money, anything from his album Manhattan Stories (recorded in 1965 but released in 2014 on Resonance Records), which is a true classic whose personnel included bassist Ron Carter, guitarist Gabor Szabo, and drummer Pete La Roca. It doesn’t really matter what the soft-spoken Lloyd decides to play, though; it will assuredly be nothing more than amazing.
For ticket info, visit 2023jazz.org.
From October 13–22, Harlem Late Night Jazz will present “Harlem Jazz Club Revival”: 10 days of exciting evenings of swinging live music at 18 Harlem venues, with 40 events featuring a roster of 80 artists.
It kicks off on October 13 at a host of Harlem venues that include noted jazz promoter Berta Indeed Presents at Hamilton’s Bar & Grill (3570 Broadway), 7 p.m.–11 p.m. That same evening, visit Harlem’s only authentic former speakeasy at Bill’s Place (148 W. 133rd Street), featuring saxophonist and composer Bill Saxton & the Harlem All-Stars. Two shows, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (call venue for reservations).
Patrick’s Place (2385 Frederick Douglass Blvd.) will offer more live music, featuring saxophonist Patience Higgins’s Jazz Jam (8 p.m.–12 midnight). Also on the roster is Harlem’s cozy little spot with a living room ambience, Room 623 (271 West 119th Street), with featured artist saxophonist Alison Shearer (10 p.m.–1 a.m.).
All venues serve food with the exception of Bill’s Place. For a complete listing, visit www.harlemlatenightjazz.org/jazz-club-revival.