News

Celebrate the Great Charles Lloyd's 80th Birthday With Feb. 14th Multi-Format Box Set

Michael Fremer  |  Jan 13, 2020

Multi-talented saxophonist Charles Lloyd celebrated his 80th birthday last March at Santa Barbara's Lobero Theater in concert with musical friends including guitarist Juian Lage, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Reuben Rogers, and dummer Eric Harland plus special guests Booker T. Jones and bassist and Blue Note President Don Was joining in halfway through the show. Lloyd's new album 8 Kindrid Spirits (Live From The Lobero) documents the show in a limited edition Blue Note Records box that includes the full performance on 3 LPs, 2 CDs and a DVD along with a 96 page hardcover book and 2 photo prints. There will also be a standard LP/DVD, DC/DVD edition containing just the first set.

About the show Lloyd said: "“Today, I bring with me everything I’ve ever played, but I do it with beginner's mind. That way I get both the benefit of experience and the desire for new discoveries. Some nights I am blessed and the deities visit me. You can’t bring everything you know at once, because that's the error of youth. You have to choose the right notes, but I find that even now I’m finding new notes that I never had before.”

To pre-order a copy go here.

A video of "Requiem" from the DVD along with an audio stream can be accessed across various platforms here.

Happy 80th Charles Lloyd!

COMMENTS
Tom L's picture
Submitted by Tom L on Mon, 2020-01-13 15:52

In my opinion Charles Lloyd is a vastly underappreciated genius. I have a bunch of his music (mostly on CD). I first saw him and his band in Lawrence, KS on 11/04/1972, didn't know anything about him but I was knocked out by their beauty, virtuosity and accessibility. We drove there from Tulsa to see the Mahavishnu Orchestra during their Inner Mounting Flame tour, Charles was the opening act.
What a night of music that was!

Intermediate Listener's picture
Submitted by Intermediate Li... on Tue, 2020-01-14 02:12

And don’t neglect his wonderful early work, including on Chico Hamilton’s Man from Two Worlds (with the first version of Forest Flower) and his own Of Course, Of Course, both with guitarist Gabor Szabo.

garyalex's picture
Submitted by garyalex on Tue, 2020-01-14 07:45

One of his recent albums, "Charles Lloyd and the Marvels", is absolutely excellent. There's also "Sangam" but I don't think it's available on vinyl.

Rashers's picture
Submitted by Rashers on Wed, 2020-01-15 02:44

Charles Lloyd has been one of the great jazz musicians for the past 50 years - and arguably has been one of the musicians of the 2010s - releasing a string of excellent albums that have, thankfully, been available on vinyl. But I just don't get this product: presumably this concert was filmed at 4K resolution and recorded at 24/96 (minimal) - so why on earth is the record company providing us with formats that are decades out of date? CD/DVD is the kind of product released in the 1990s. For the kind of price demanded by these superdeluxe releases, surely a Blu-Ray disc (1080p plus 24 bit audio) would be appropriate. Anybody who would buy this type of product would own a BR player (they cost about $50). Instead the DVD will be 3 generations below current streaming standards for video, and likely Dolby digital (i.e. below CD quality) for audio.
The records are presumably mastered from 24/96 - and high res downloads/streaming will almost certainly be available from Qobuz/Tidal. Crazy cheap assed stuff! Charles Lloyd deserves better.

wozzabear's picture
Submitted by wozzabear on Wed, 2020-01-15 03:16

I'm sure the music is great but these trophy sets are simply too expensive in this case two hundred dollars for three albums - ok for the 1% crowd and reviewers who seldom pay for any of the products they tout but for ordinary folks its a bad joke.

Rashers's picture
Submitted by Rashers on Thu, 2020-01-16 04:59

Universal have recently announced a 10LP digitally sourced box set (of music that is already available) of the Allman Brothers band, in a wooden box priced at >$500 (the CD version is <$50). Crazy.

Montpier's picture
Submitted by Montpier on Wed, 2020-01-15 17:00

Have to go back through my many Mosaic complete boxsets but don't recall Alfred Lion sitting in on any sessions. Nor Bruce Lundvall. Agree with above comment that these "trophy box sets" are getting way out of hand. Perhaps if his 80th brought back together Jarrett/DeJohnette/McBee (or Peacock?) possibly justified. Okay, probably selling more albums on Blue Note but personally think Lloyd's recent recordings less interesting than the last of his ECM's, especially those with Jason Moran.

xtcfan80's picture
Submitted by xtcfan80 on Sat, 2020-01-18 06:37

Please stop calling recorded music product. It’s a term used in the music industry that does neither the musicians or their art any favors... If you are not aware that Don Was is an accomplished enough musician to sit in and fit in with top- flight jazz musicians do some homework before commenting.....

Montpier's picture
Submitted by Montpier on Tue, 2020-01-21 22:20

With all due respect I'm well aware of Don Was's CV from 'Out Come the Freaks' on and agree that he's a competent bassist, as well as producer and record executive. Admire much of what he's doing to provide a viable future for Blue Note with a mix of reissues and new releases that are not just "jazz" from artists like Rosanne Cash. However, while he's appeared on many great albums there are very few (any?) prior recordings with top-flight musicians improvising in what Martin Williams described as the "Jazz Tradition"* Okay, guilty of being overly snarky and maybe his playing on this project (hope you're okay with that word) is top notch, but sorry the cost of entry is too steep for me.

My point was that if this performance was to be an event worthy of being documented with a pricey lavish package would Don Was be among your top choices on bass?

* Presumably you're familiar with this classic text. If not, you have some homework. (And BTW - I'd be saying the same thing if Colin Moulding was on bass and big fan of XTC from back in the Barry Andrews days...)

Cheers!

xtcfan80's picture
Submitted by xtcfan80 on Sat, 2020-01-18 06:41

And... as far as the $$$$ involved in buying these boxes. .... Michael’s site is here to share and inform us about what’s new....If the price is too high, no one’s forcing you to buy a Tesla you don’t want or can’t afford....

lgoldman's picture
Submitted by lgoldman on Sat, 2020-02-01 15:21

interesting article in Uk Guardian on how physical format is killing us
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/28/vinyl-record-revival-envir...

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