Charles Lloyd, Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan: Trios: Chapel

Modern Jazz / Indie Jazz
premiera polska: 2022-06-24
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Gatefoldowe etui
opis:
Opis wydawcy:
Charles Lloyd od dawna jest genialnym muzykiem, wizjonerem i wolnym duchem. Przez ponad sześć dekad, ten legendarny saksofonista i kompozytor dominował w świecie muzyki, a w wieku 84 lat pozostaje u szczytu swoich twórczych możliwości. Lloyd wcześnie odkrył, jak bardzo improwizowane solo osadzone w oryginalnym kontekście, może skłonić do większej kreatywności i swobody wypowiedzi. Przez całą swoją karierę szukał alternatywnych sposobów na ukształtowanie swoich umiejętności improwizacji.

Niespokojna twórczość Lloyda prawdopodobnie nie znalazła nigdzie indziej większego wyrazu niż w jego najnowszym arcydziele, ekspansywnym projekcie, który składa się aż z trzech albumów. Każdy z nich ma nadrzędny temat, przedstawiający lidera w innym otoczeniu tria – Trio of Trio. Pierwszy album, Trios: Chapel (Premiera: 24 czerwca), została nagrany z udziałem gitarzysty Billa Frisella i basisty Thomasa Morgana. Drugi, Trios: Ocean (premiera: 26 sierpnia), z udziałem gitarzysty Anthony'ego Wilsona i pianisty Geralda Claytona. Trzeci, Trios: Sacred Thread (premiera: 28 października), z udziałem gitarzysty Juliana Lage i perkusisty Zakira Hussaina.

jazztrail.net * * * * 1/2
The unequal Charles Lloyd, a premier saxophonist with a six-decade career at the highest level, puts out the first of three trio recordings featuring different lineups. Trios: Chapel features five previously recorded tunes - three originals and two covers - marvelously reworked here by a refreshing trio completed with guitarist Bill Frisell (a member of Lloyd’s eclectic quintet The Marvels) and bassist Thomas Morgan, who has been a regular collaborator of the guitarist both in duo and trio settings. The tremendous rapport between these three instrumentalists couldn’t be more transparent and the music is the natural product of their musical talents.
Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count” opens the set with Lloyd speaking an alluring language whose empathy extends to Frisell’s serene comp and focused touch. Guitar layers merge with Morgan’s activity on the bass, which, going beyond the mere definition of the chords, provides a tasteful anchor for the saxophone. This piece was originally recorded by Lloyd on the double-CD album Lift Every Voice (ECM, 2002), just like his own “Beyond Darkness”, a flute-driven excursion that soars here with chordal mystery and a curious cross-cultural tinge.
Exuding goodwill and enchantment, “Song My Lady Sings” was retrieved from his 1965 quartet album Of Course, Of Course (Columbia). Working closely, the guitarist and the bassist start the proceedings with a warm, glowing radiance that later welcomes the mighty presence of the bandleader. His sweetest side is on display throughout this waltzing stride, but goes even deeper in the magnetic exploration of Bola de Nieve’s Cuban ballad “Ay Amor”, a tune that was also included in his latest album with The Marvels, Tone Poem (Blue Note, 2021). The simple delineation of the theme is remarkable, with Lloyd making everything more luminous with nimble arpeggios. The rock-solid Morgan lets it flow from the bottom while Frisell excels in his melodic poignancy.
The trio concludes the album with the beautiful “Dorotea’s Studio”, which refers to the working space of Lloyd’s wife/agent/producer Dorothy Darr. The folk expressiveness will treat you with a complete relaxation. I’m very much looking forward to the couple of volumes that will follow - the second featuring pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson, and the third with percussionist Zakir Hussain and guitarist Julian Lage.

udiscovermusic.com
Sometimes good things come in threes. That seems to be part of the principle behind Charles Lloyd’s current recording project, Trio of Trios. The album trilogy will feature the revered saxophonist in three different trio settings. The first installment, Trios: Chapel, features guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan and is available now on Blue Note Records.

Lloyd is a legend in jazz, long known as a searcher who looks outside the conventions of the genre for fresh ideas to bring into his music, going all the way back to the ‘60s when he keyed in on the countercultural vibes of the hippies to stoke his spiritual flame. At 84, Lloyd is still thinking outside the box, as shown by the concept behind Trio of Trios.

With Lloyd being the only constant, each of the three lineups will bring drastically different musical dynamics into being, showing how much one musician’s output can be affected by his surroundings. As far as the next two records in the series, Trios: Ocean will put Lloyd together with pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson and is expected out on August 26, while Trios: Sacred Thread will match the saxman with guitarist Julian Lage and worldbeat percussionist Zakir Hussain for an October 28 release.

If you’re eager to dig into what Lloyd and company are doing, you can nab a copy of the first record. But you can also preorder a specially designed box set that brings all three albums together in a single package that’s both sonically satisfying and visually stunning. And in the meantime, you can catch Charles Lloyd in conversation with Blue Note boss Don Was, digging into the details of his new project, in the video below.
By Jim Allen

muzycy:
Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, alto flute; Bill Frisell: guitar: Thomas Morgan: acoustic bass

utwory:
1. Blood Count
2. Song My Lady Sings
3. Ay Amor
4. Beyond Darkness
5. Dorotea's Studio

wydano: 2022-06-24
nagrano: Recorded at Elizabeth Huth Coates Chapel, Southwest School of Art, San Antonio, Texas on December 8, 2018

more info: www.bluenote.com
more info2: charleslloyd.com