I Long to See You
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels
(Blue Note)
Five stars
The guitars flanking saxophonist Charles Lloyd on his latest album nudge him in a more spiritual direction.
There's a prayer-like feel even to pop tunes Masters of War and You Are So Beautiful. Meanwhile, 16-minute closer Barche Lamsel has Buddhist roots – and only one chord. This is still jazz, after all.
Fifty years into his recording career, Lloyd deserves credit for discovering fresh textures in the old genre. For I Long to See You, he enlisted guitarist Bill Frisell and steel-guitarist Greg Leisz to join his rhythm section of bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, and named the group the Marvels. That they are.
The guitar work has more in common with Garcia and Allman than with Reinhardt or Christian, expanding the palette of possibilities. Sombrero Sam, for example, starts as surf rock and ends with a Lloyd flute solo.
For further variety, Lloyd recruited some high-profile singers, too. Norah Jones shows her jazz chops with a chromatic approach to You Are So Beautiful, while Willie Nelson sings Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream – and throws in a few guitar licks of his own.
Best of all, though, is Lloyd's beautiful one-verse rendition of the hymn Abide With Me.
Is 82 seconds enough for a jazz tune? Amen.
artslife@thenational.ae
