Charles Lloyd

Characteristic of some of the greatest jazz musicians is that they are storytellers. Charles Lloyd is one of jazz's foremost communicators. He has a unique presence, with a warm and passionate musicality that reaches the souls of the listeners. Especially in his older days, he has found his way back to the source of music, and to a sensitivity that is difficult to capture in words.

Guitarist Bill Frisell is his own genre. Jazz from the traditional to the avant-garde, blues, americana, country, rock m.m. form parts of an unusually wide palette. No matter what musical landscape he is in, his unique tonal and instrumental expression emerges. No wonder Arild Andersen took him with him when he got to put together his dream band for Moldejazz in 1981, a concert that became a bit legendary also through the live album "A Molde Concert" on ECM.

Frisell was still in school when Charles Loyd in the 1960s started a quartet with young foals Keith Jarrett and Jack de Johnette in the crew. The quartet played at Moldejazz in 1966 and received a huge response from the audience in a packed Molde cinema. The live album "Forest Flower" from the Monterey Jazz Festival became an instant classic with millions of sales. This, as well as collaboration with blues legend Muddy Waters. Beach Boys and others, Lloyd provided an audience far beyond the jazz people. After a few years of success, he retired and lived an anonymous life in Big Sur, until pianist Michel Petrucciani got him back to active music practice again.

Since then, Lloyd has gone from strength to strength, touring the world with changing crews. As his old friend from his hometown of Memphis, Booker T (Jones) once said: Charles Lloyd is a gift to the world. Now he and Bill Frisell have put together a quartet you will hardly get to experience again.

Charles Lloyd, saxophone, flute, Bill Frisell, guitar, Reuben Rogers, bass, Eric Harland, drums