Label: Blue Note Records, 2021
Personnel - Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, flute; Bill Frisell: guitar; Greg Leisz: pedal steel guitar; Rueben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland; drums.
The incredible Charles Lloyd, 82, has in Tone Poem his third work with The Marvels, a piano-less ensemble composed of Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Rueben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums. On this recording, the sui generis sound and approach of the saxophonist are fully intact and in perfect balance with the bluesy and folk intonations of the band that supports him. The program consists of a mouth-watering selection of originals and covers, which pivoting between contemplation and ecstasy, achieve wonderful results.
Lloyd initiates this journey by stamping his personal signature in two notorious compositions by Ornette Coleman - “Peace”, which carries an offbeat avant-country vibe while embracing the spiritual side of things, and “Ramblin’”, a static delight made of hypnotic drumming, chromatic bass moves, and rock’n’roll-ish guitar continuum adorned with bluesy chops, over which cascades of lyrically kinetic tenor lines are thrown in abundance.
The group airs a folk-pop melancholy while driving Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” with a slow yet assured pace, while on the romantic “Ay Amor”, penned by Cuban singer/pianist Bola de Nieve, Lloyd and Frisell have the power to stun and petrify, such is the beauty of their expressions. The final two-chord vamp in this piece feels like a slow motion of “Tone Poem”, a prominent Lloyd piece where the saxophonist careens off modal avenues with astonishing brilliancy. Although less fervent in comparison with that unforgettable 1985 Town Hall interpretation (in a quartet with Petrucciani, McBee and DeJohnette) for the jazz film One Night with Blue Note, this new exposition of the song oozes groove and denotes subtle nuances in the melody in addition to an introductory sax/percussion ramble.
Having been included on the previous outing - Vanished Gardens (Blue Note, 2018) - as a duet with Frisell, “Monk’s Mood” is revisited here with sculptural layers of guitar and a full rhythm section. Two other previously recorded pieces to appear on the track listing - “Lady Gabor” and “Prayer” - were tackled by the Chico Hamilton Quintet, of which Lloyd was a member in the 1960’s. The former number, ecstatically percussive, surfaces with flute articulation and guitar atmospherics with episodic rock washes; the latter emits a warm glow and features a fine arco bass statement.
A new Lloyd blues, “Dismal Swamp”, works as a dulcet yet stimulating tonic where flute-guitar unisons follow a path through the functional light-funk area defined by the rhythm.
With a consummate ability to touch our hearts and speak to all of us through his majestic music, Charles Lloyd has here his best recording with The Marvels and another timeless work to be cherished.
Grade A+
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Ramblin’ ► 04 - Ay Amor ► 07 - Lady Gabor