Trios: Ocean (Live) Charles Lloyd

• 1 The Lonely One (Live) 12:18
• 2 Hagar of the Inuits (Live) 08:53
• 3 Jaramillo Blues (For Virginia Jaramillo and Danny Johnson) (Live) 10:03
• 4 Kuan Yin (Live) 10:07
• Total Runtime 41:21

Info for Trios: Ocean (Live)

Trios: Ocean, the second album in his Trio of Trios series, an expansive project that presents the legendary saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master in three different trio settings.

The first album in the series, Trios: Chapel featuring guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan, was released on June 24, and the third, Trios: Sacred Thread featuring guitarist Julian Lage and percussionist Zakir Hussain, will come out on November 18.

The Ocean Trio was recorded in the 150-year-old Lobero Theater in Lloyd’s hometown of Santa Barbara, California. It was live streamed without an audience on September 9, 2020, during the first year of the global pandemic. Lloyd was joined by Gerald Clayton on piano and Anthony Wilson on guitar, both sons of famous musician fathers — Gerald is the son of West Coast bass legend John Clayton, while Anthony is the son of celebrated bandleader, trumpeter, and composer Gerald Wilson, in whose big band Lloyd once played when he moved from Memphis to study at the University of Southern California when in his teens.

The blues have always been woven into Lloyd’s musical vocabulary, its influence sometimes overt and sometimes covert, both occurring in “Jaramillo Blues.” The piece—which is dedicated to the painter Virginia Jaramillo and her husband, sculptor Daniel Johnson—can be traced back through a timeline that leads back to Lloyd’s teens when he played alongside such blues masters as Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and B. B. King. This is a blues of an optimistic hue with Clayton’s bright, rootless chords providing an introduction to Lloyd’s flute, who sets mood and tone of the performance.

Lloyd has long been a free spirit, master musician, and visionary. For more than 6 decades the saxophonist and composer has loomed large over the music world, and at 84 years old he remains at the height of his powers and as prolific as ever. Early on Lloyd saw how placing the improvised solo in interesting and original contexts could provoke greater freedom of expression and inspire creativity, and throughout his remarkable career he has searched for alternative ways to frame his improvisational skills.

Charles Lloyd, tenor saxophone
Gerald Clayton, piano
Anthony Wilson, guitar

Charles Lloyd
NEA Jazz Masters and recipient of the Ordre de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, Charles Lloyd, continues to elevate the art form with each performance and recording. Born in Memphis, Tennessee March 15, 1938. From an early age, Lloyd was immersed in that city's rich musical life and was exposed to jazz. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 9. Pianist Phineas Newborn became his mentor, and took him to Irvin Reason for lessons. His closest friend in high school was trumpeter, Booker Little. Lloyd worked in Phineas Sr's band, and became a sideman in the Blues bands of B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Johnnie Ace, Bobbie "Blue" Bland, and others.

In 1956 Lloyd moved to Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Southern California. During this period Lloyd played in Gerald Wilson's big band, and formed his own group that included Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Bobby Hutcherson, Scott LAFaro, and Terry Trotter. Lloyd joined Chico Hamilton in 1960. His influence as a composer quickly pushed the group in a more progressive post-bop direction when Hamilton asked him to be the group's "music director." In 1964 Lloyd left Hamilton's group to join alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. He recorded two albums as a leader for Columbia Records, Discovery and Of Course, Of Course; his sidemen included Gabor Szabo, Don Friedman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Pete La Roca. In 1965 Lloyd formed a quartet with pianist, Keith Jarrett, bassist, Cecil McBee, drummer, Jack DeJohnette. It was a meeting of of straight-ahead post-bop, Free jazz, rock, and world music. Their music quickly caught the attention of jazz fans and critics. They achieved crossover success with young rock fans and became the first jazz group to play in the famed Fillmore. The album Forest Flower, Live at Monterey, sold over one million copies.

When approached by pianist, Michel Petrucciani in 1981, he resumed performing for two years to help Petrucciani get a footing on the world stage, before retreating again to his secluded life in Big Sur. Following a near death experience in 1986, Lloyd decided to rededicate himself to music. In 1989, Lloyd reestablished an active touring schedule and began recording for ECM Records. Noteworthy albums include Fish Out of Water, Canto, Voice In The Night, The Water Is Wide (featuring Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins) Sangam with Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland.

His 'New Quartet' with Jason Moran, piano, Reuben Rogers, bass and Eric Harland, drums has three recordings on ECM; Rabo de Nube (2008 ) was voted #1 recording for the 2008 Jazz Times Reader's and Critic's Poll, and Mirror ( 2010 ) and Passin’ Thru on Blue Note Records (2017). Commissioned by Jazztopad in Wroclaw, Poland to write a new composition to premiere at their 2013 festival, Lloyd wrote Wild Man Dance Suite for piano, bass, drums, cimbalom and lyra, released on Blue Note Records in April 2015. Lloyd formed a new group called The Marvels featuring Bill Frisell on guitar, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland and Greg Leisz on steel guitar. Their first release I Long To See You (Blue Note 2016) featured guest tracks by Willie Nelson and Norah Jones. Vanished Gardens ( Blue Notes Records 2018 ) is a Marvels collaboration with the great American singer and poet, Lucinda Williams.

Jazztopad Festival created two additional and important commissions for Lloyd – the 2017 project titled Red Waters, Black Sky, was an homage to his great grandmother Sallie Sunflower Whitecloud, who refused to walk the Trail of Tears and all of the indigenous people who had their homelands taken away from them. This multi media project, project was written for string quartet, choir and the Marvels. The lush arrangements were written by Michael Gibbs. Lloyd’s wife Dorothy Darr created the video that became the backdrop for the performance. In 2019, Jazztopad requested a new performance of the Wildman Dance Suite, this time with orchestra. Michael Gibbs, again, wrote the arrangements and the resulting performance was a resounding success.

In celebration of his 80th birthday in 2018, Blue Note Records released a limited edition box set; 8, Kindred Spirits, Live from the Lobero featured fellow Memphian, Booker T. Jones. The box set includes CD, LP and DVD of the concert along with a 96 page book of photos commemorating Lloyd’s life and legacy. His newest recording, the sixth for Blue Note Records (2021) is Tone Poem, and once again, features the Marvels.

This album contains no booklet.