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Charles Lloyd Quartet At The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

Ryan Faughnder |
September 26, 2010 | 6:56 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Charles Lloyd (Ryan Faughnder)
Charles Lloyd (Ryan Faughnder)
At 72 years old, saxophonist Charles Lloyd is less of an old sage and more of a weathered sea captain, or at least that’s how he seemed Saturday night at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center.

Lloyd framed the show as a requiem for his former teacher Buddy Collette, who died Sunday, Sept. 18. As a musician, educator and advocate for some of the genre’s most important mid-century players, Collette made vital contributions to the jazz scene, especially in Los Angeles. Lloyd's performance understandably took on a somber tone.

The solemnity added another level of import to a moving performance that showcased not only the history of jazz but also the potential future.

Lloyd’s new quartet, which released its latest album "Mirror"  Sept. 14, is one of the best I’ve seen. Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums epitomized the kinds of musicians who are now making jazz hip. The contrast between Lloyd’s wrinkled grey jacket and Harland’s yellow hipster sunglasses was telling.

The group’s adventurousness inspired freedom in Lloyd’s playing. His soft tone can sound dry and airy and his notes sometimes groan between registers, but his improvisations and his sound opened up with the exuberant ensemble behind him. On their version of the civil rights anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the group played a dissonant free-tempo accompaniment under Lloyd’s explorations of the melody.

Moran, as proven on his latest record “Ten,” is capable of wild experiments, but his roots in the styles of Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner give him the footing to accompany Lloyd’s more traditional playing. Their performance of “Monk’s Mood” found Moran right at home in the sometimes angular, chromatic chord changes. On his solo for “Dream Weaver,” one of the night’s darker pieces, his left hand rolled on a prolonged minor chord while his right played octaves, suggesting the harrowing finale to some dark opera. His torrential improvisations on the bright, Charlie Parker-esque “Passin’ Thru” had Lloyd briefly dancing in the background.

The band surprisingly left many highlights of “Mirror” off the program, including their version of the Beach Boys’ “Caroline No” and the traditional tune “The Water is Wide,” and it would have been nice to hear more of Lloyd’s spirited flute playing. The concert, though, was a rare opportunity to see a masterful, multigenerational group at work. Buddy Collette received a fitting tribute.

To reach reporter Ryan Faughnder, click here.



 

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