Label: Blue Note Records, 2024
Personnel - Charles Lloyd: saxophones, flutes; Jason Moran: piano; Larry Grenadier: double bass; Brian Blade: drums.
In The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow, the unmistakable, soulful sound of saxophonist Charles Lloyd resonates through the exquisite tapestries crafted by his quartet mates: pianist Jason Moran, bassist Larry Grenadier, and the newly joined, seasoned drummer Brian Blade. This double-disc release epitomizes a remarkable convergence of advanced musical minds.
“Defiant, Tender Warrior” opens the album in a relaxed, breathable 4/4 tempo, marveling at its vamping spiritual melody while Blade’s radiant percussive moves show to be a wonderful fit. Moran brings shuffling, harmonically vivid pianism into “Monk’s Dance”, Lloyd’s homage to the late Thelonious Monk, navigating a modern stride before launching an assertive solo over a swinging progression. Moments before, Lloyd had showcased his potential for fresh discoveries, employing his signature style phraseology pelted with sublime arpeggio coloration.
In the duo performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, a Black hymn dating back to 1900 by J.W. Johnson, Lloyd and Moran achieve ecstatic catharsis through their lyrical interplay and responsive dynamics. “Booker’s Garden”, dedicated to saxophonist Booker Little, features dulcet flute filigree, molding into a gentle spiritual dance. On “The Ghost of Lady Day”, the iconic jazz singer Billie Holiday is honored in a sweetly lazy affair played with a nocturnal rubato before veering into expressionist avant-garde territory. Strangely, it oozes emotional intensity and intriguing mystery.
Another rubato peregrination, “Sky Valley, Spirit of the Forest”, seems indifferent to form but meticulous in tone, traversing from vagueness to illumination. The title cut stands as a program highlight, with Lloyd’s tenor sax swooping and soaring - both in and out of focus - over Blade’s sharp reflexes. The entrance by Moran is out of this world, and the communication proceeds with as much distinction as logic. There’s also a gospelized piano passage and a fading vamping groove that leads to the ending.
“Cape Cairo”, an older tune retrieved from Lloyd’s cherished album All My Relations (ECM, 1995), emerges as another favorite, with the rhythm section conjuring hair-raising dreamlike tones as Lloyd's saxophone weaves an enchanting melody from start to finish. Charles Lloyd, a living jazz legend, showcases a sophisticated hybrid of post-bop, spiritual energy, and eclectic avant-garde jazz, producing another extraordinary album destined to be included on numerous ‘best of’ lists.
Favorite Tracks:
01 (CD1) - Defiant, Tender Warrior ► 03 (CD1) - Monk’s Dance ► 08 (CD1) - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow ► 06 (CD2) - Cape Cairo