Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds - Charles Lloyd, celebrating his 75th birthday in concert at the Kennedy Center. A triumphant world class concert.

~ Friday I drove to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC to hear Charles Lloyd. Every time I hear Charles it's an experience I'm glad I heard. The journey has many rewards,and inspirations.This was very special,with one of the greatest saxophonists in the history of jazz, Charles Lloyd, celebrating his 75th birthday with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos , at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on Friday, March 22. His live playing is a real treasure trove.The ECM Cd's are worth their weight in gold.The recordings have that very rare quality of becoming better each time you listen to them. Each time I put on a Charles Lloyd CD on, I get lost in it. These types of experiences, in which one can enjoy him live, is a wonder, a synthesis of cerebral and virtually telepathic musical intuition and communication between the musicians, as if suddenly they unite in their new found discovery and take a voyage down a never explored avenue, only to emerge in triumphant glory. I have to mention the interplay, the improvisation, the way each band member can feel each other like putting on an old glove.Not to mention the benediction from the legendary genius Dick Gregory! A bright moment and something very beautiful in the 75th birthday concert for Master Lloyd. In a very clear way,a Charles Lloyd live concert is the pivot point between the main phases of this masters career: the acoustic jazz idiom he inhabited , and revolutionized,and the beyond category music he is creating on a day to day basis. This makes for a one of a kind team, equally at home with groove and feverish exotic forward motion. Charles takes the ensemble through a series of atomized improvisations.I loved what everyone brought to the bandstand, the knowledge, soul, passion and imagination.They shimmer like stars in the night sky when they create together.Charles Lloyd,Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos - were phenomenal! The ensemble inventiveness here is among the most masterful, the most intricate, the most engaging in the history of jazz and modern music. Indeed, it is Charles Lloyd's playing on tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute and taragato that is immersed in the brilliance of universal invention. ~ This was of the highest historical importance. Jazz is ephemeral, everything has to be right for the best performances, and everything was perfect on this date. The players were all at the absolute top of their games, the tunes were great, the mood was right, it's a great concert in every respect.Thank you all- Charles Lloyd, the masterful Dick Gregory,Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Alicia Hall Moran, Zakir Hussain, Maria Farantouri and Socratis Sinopoulos.I'll never forget this night- I can't recall a more sheerly beautiful gathering of spirits and simpaticos. ~ Charles Lloyd is a blessing to this music, and all within and around it. - Tim Price

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