charles lloyd

this guy's great!

why does it seem like he's not as canonized as he ought to be?

was he somehow perceived as... unhip? too... soothing?

have been listening to his mellow hippie album Waves (1972) (featuring Gábor Szabó, and Roger McGuinn?!) a lot, but seems like he's pretty consistently released great material for decades - and currently on an octogenarian roll

I enjoy all his stuff anyway

Here's "TM" from Waves for your morning meditation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IfqfJ2TFdk

and here's "Ay Amor" (with Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan!) from one of three (!) 2022 records with different combos, all good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wiInAcqGQ

Here's "Haghia Sophia" from Fish out of Water (1989) with Bobo Stenson, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE-18AVr_JE

Played on "Feel Flows", which is good enough for me.

Nate Chinen wrote about Lloyd in the introduction of Playing Changes, his 2019 survey of 21st century jazz. He compared the reception of Lloyd in the '60s to the reception of Kamasi Washington in the 2010s -- a jazz guy with a strong following among rock/pop audiences, which aroused skepticism among jazz critics. Embarrassingly, I don't think I'd even heard of Lloyd before reading that book.

I really like the Afterglow soundtrack he played on with Mark Isham, Geri Allen, Gary Burton, Billy Higgins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD10GddNWko

I never got super into his '60s stuff, although it's worth it for early Jack DeJohnette + Keith Jarrett and it's interesting that it was this very popular festival jazz, embraced by the hippies.

But I'm a huge fan of his later work, especially his ongoing Blue Note run. So many great bands (the trio with Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan, anything with Eric Harland, etc).

The 'singles' from his upcoming record with Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier, and Brian Blade sound fantastic.

The '60s Atlantic albums are really good. What's amazing (and really says a lot about his audience) is that he only made one studio album and followed that up with eight live albums.

the Manhattan Stories release from a few years ago w/ gabor szabo and ron carter is fantastic, some really amazing playing, some very cool vibes: https://charleslloyd.bandcamp.com/album/manhattan-stories

I've always been amused by the envy/dislike Miles Davis had for Charles Lloyd. From his autobiography

"A lot of things were changing in music around 1967 and 1968 and a lot of new shit was happening. One of them was the music of Charles Llovd, who had become very popular. When his band was reallv happening he had Jack DeJohnette and a young piano player named Keith Jarrett. He was the leader, but it was those two guys who were making the music really happen. They were playing a cross between jazz and rock, very rhythmic music. Charles never was any kind of player, but he had a certain sound on the saxophone that was kind of light and floating and worked with what Keith and Jack were putting under and around it. His music was very popular for a couple of years and so a lot of people started paying attention. Our two groups shared a bill at the Village Gate at the end of 1967 or early 1968. Man, the place was packed. I knew Jack from when he filled in for Tony, and when Charles's group was in town I would go over and listen. He started accusing me of trying to steal his musicians from him. Charles didn't stay around for too long but made a lot of money during the time he was hot. I hear he's rich and selling real estate todav, so more power to him"

Lol thank you, that's of course where I first heard about Charles Lloyd but had forgotten about the sick burns.

The record he made with Lucinda Williams has some interesting moments. Its closer to a Lucinda Williams album than a Charles Lloyd album, but its worth a listen.

Nate Chinen wrote about Lloyd in the introduction of Playing Changes, his 2019 survey of 21st century jazz. He compared the reception of Lloyd in the '60s to the reception of Kamasi Washington in the 2010s -- a jazz guy with a strong following among rock/pop audiences, which aroused skepticism among jazz critics.

makes a lot of sense, had a feeling something was up

I really like the Afterglow soundtrack he played on with Mark Isham, Geri Allen, Gary Burton, Billy Higgins

this is great! and mellow in a way that might turn off some heads

good interview here, kind of an incredible career, the amount of very famous people he hung out with / worked with... fascinating... and such a generous, kind, mellow spirit - shows in his playing!
https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/theartsdesk-qa-jazz-musician-charles-lloyd

It’s unfolding. It’s coming through, the more I can work on myself, and simplify, and go deeper. And I have sandalwood forests available to me, they say, “Oh hi, welcome Charles.” I’ve gone past the goldmines. It keeps me young and in springtime.

Ramblin' off 2021's Tone Poem also a real treat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGVIrck0pNI

He played a fantastic tribute set to Zakir Hussain last night at Big Ears. With Eric Harland, Bill Frisell, Ganavya and Harish Rhagavan. Ganavya’s voice wove beautifully with Lloyd and Frisell’s playing, it was elegiac spiritual jazz in a very personal way.