Figure In Blue Charles Lloyd

• 1 Abide With Me 02:51
• 2 Hina Hanta, the way of peace 07:50
• 3 Figure In Blue, memories of Duke 07:13
• 4 Desolation Sound 05:49
• 5 Ruminations 10:40
• 6 Chulahoma 05:03
• 7 Song My Lady Sings 08:38
• 8 The Ghost of Lady Day 10:27
• 9 Blues for Langston 08:17
• 10 Heaven 06:16
• 11 Black Butterfly 09:05
• 12 Ancient Rain 01:51
• 13 Hymn To The Mother, for Zakir 09:27
• 14 Somewhere 04:34
• Total Runtime 01:38:01

Info for Figure In Blue

Jazz legend Charles Lloyd releases his latest musical offering, "Figure In Blue", a spacious double album of new studio recordings featuring the great saxophonist-flutist in the company of a new trio with pianist Jason Moran and guitarist Marvin Sewell. Lloyd’s 12th Blue Note album travels wide expanses of musical terrain from beautiful ballads to raw Delta blues and includes heartfelt homages to Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Zakir Hussain.

Throughout a program of new original music, reinvigorated older works, and other choice selections, Lloyd pays tribute to the musicians and influences that have shaped him. The result is one of the most musically stunning and personally meaningful recordings of his career. In it, you can hear a kind of memoir unfold at the same time the saxophonist puts forth a candid document of his undiminished strength. As he nears his tenth decade, his tone and technique are, as ever, equally mighty and ethereal, delivering startling intensity even in moments of meditative quiet.

Lloyd convened the new trio for his 87th birthday concert at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara and immediately brought them into the studio. The trio is a study in ensemble empathy — a clinic in knowing when to play and when to listen — owing to both experience and shared Southern roots. Moran, a generation-defining pianist who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, has been one of Lloyd’s most important collaborators for nearly two decades. “We arrive at the heart of the matter with very few words,” Lloyd says of their kinship.

Sewell has joined Lloyd onstage in various configurations and he’s of a piece with the comprehensive range of Lloyd and Moran’s musicianship. Trained in classical piano and jazz guitar, Sewell also plays bottleneck Delta blues with soul-stirring veracity. “Marvin has an authentic voice,” Lloyd says, going on to explain how Sewell’s playing can transport him to his own musical beginnings in Memphis. “Marvin grew up in Chicago but has family ties to the Mississippi Delta, and knows from first-hand experience the trials and tribulations we experienced on the red clay of the South. You can hear it in his playing.”

Charles Lloyd has done career-defining work in unconventional trio lineups, including Sangam with Hussain, and the more recent recordings collected in the trilogy Trio of Trios. But Figure In Blue stands alone, breaking new ground in the way of harmony, patience, and generosity. By projecting his reverence outward, Lloyd becomes luminous.

Charles Lloyd, saxophone
Jason Moran, piano
Marvin Sewell, guitar

Charles Lloyd
NEA Jazz Masters and recipient of the Ordre de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, Charles Lloyd, continues to elevate the art form with each performance and recording. Born in Memphis, Tennessee March 15, 1938. From an early age, Lloyd was immersed in that city's rich musical life and was exposed to jazz. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 9. Pianist Phineas Newborn became his mentor, and took him to Irvin Reason for lessons. His closest friend in high school was trumpeter, Booker Little. Lloyd worked in Phineas Sr's band, and became a sideman in the Blues bands of B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Johnnie Ace, Bobbie "Blue" Bland, and others.

In 1956 Lloyd moved to Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Southern California. During this period Lloyd played in Gerald Wilson's big band, and formed his own group that included Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Bobby Hutcherson, Scott LAFaro, and Terry Trotter. Lloyd joined Chico Hamilton in 1960. His influence as a composer quickly pushed the group in a more progressive post-bop direction when Hamilton asked him to be the group's "music director." In 1964 Lloyd left Hamilton's group to join alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. He recorded two albums as a leader for Columbia Records, Discovery and Of Course, Of Course; his sidemen included Gabor Szabo, Don Friedman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Pete La Roca. In 1965 Lloyd formed a quartet with pianist, Keith Jarrett, bassist, Cecil McBee, drummer, Jack DeJohnette. It was a meeting of of straight-ahead post-bop, Free jazz, rock, and world music. Their music quickly caught the attention of jazz fans and critics. They achieved crossover success with young rock fans and became the first jazz group to play in the famed Fillmore. The album Forest Flower, Live at Monterey, sold over one million copies.

When approached by pianist, Michel Petrucciani in 1981, he resumed performing for two years to help Petrucciani get a footing on the world stage, before retreating again to his secluded life in Big Sur. Following a near death experience in 1986, Lloyd decided to rededicate himself to music. In 1989, Lloyd reestablished an active touring schedule and began recording for ECM Records. Noteworthy albums include Fish Out of Water, Canto, Voice In The Night, The Water Is Wide (featuring Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins) Sangam with Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland.

His 'New Quartet' with Jason Moran, piano, Reuben Rogers, bass and Eric Harland, drums has three recordings on ECM; Rabo de Nube (2008 ) was voted #1 recording for the 2008 Jazz Times Reader's and Critic's Poll, and Mirror ( 2010 ) and Passin’ Thru on Blue Note Records (2017). Commissioned by Jazztopad in Wroclaw, Poland to write a new composition to premiere at their 2013 festival, Lloyd wrote Wild Man Dance Suite for piano, bass, drums, cimbalom and lyra, released on Blue Note Records in April 2015. Lloyd formed a new group called The Marvels featuring Bill Frisell on guitar, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland and Greg Leisz on steel guitar. Their first release I Long To See You (Blue Note 2016) featured guest tracks by Willie Nelson and Norah Jones. Vanished Gardens ( Blue Notes Records 2018 ) is a Marvels collaboration with the great American singer and poet, Lucinda Williams.

Jazztopad Festival created two additional and important commissions for Lloyd – the 2017 project titled Red Waters, Black Sky, was an homage to his great grandmother Sallie Sunflower Whitecloud, who refused to walk the Trail of Tears and all of the indigenous people who had their homelands taken away from them. This multi media project, project was written for string quartet, choir and the Marvels. The lush arrangements were written by Michael Gibbs. Lloyd’s wife Dorothy Darr created the video that became the backdrop for the performance. In 2019, Jazztopad requested a new performance of the Wildman Dance Suite, this time with orchestra. Michael Gibbs, again, wrote the arrangements and the resulting performance was a resounding success.

In celebration of his 80th birthday in 2018, Blue Note Records released a limited edition box set; 8, Kindred Spirits, Live from the Lobero featured fellow Memphian, Booker T. Jones. The box set includes CD, LP and DVD of the concert along with a 96 page book of photos commemorating Lloyd’s life and legacy. His newest recording, the sixth for Blue Note Records (2021) is Tone Poem, and once again, features the Marvels.

This album contains no booklet.