Charles Lloyd Julian Lage Zakir Hussain
The latest musical project of the great master of the saxophone Charles Lloyd impresses even with the names of the three participants. The album "Trios: Sacred Thread" was released late last year (Blue Note 2022) and completes Lloyd's "Trio of Trios" series. In this final phase of the trilogy, maestro Lloyd is joined by two exceptional talents, Julian Lage on guitar and tabla and percussion wizard Zakir Hussain.
The sound the three create is hypnotic, deep, and haunting. The seven pieces on the album are dedicated to Eastern roots in faith and Indian wisdom. But not only. Along with purely Indian motifs, there are also movements dedicated to the wisdom of the Sufi poet Rumi, as well as improvisations with accents on Middle Eastern roots in music. The changes of tempo and mood will come as no surprise to the listener familiar with the skills of such virtuosos.
The age difference between the 84-year-old Lloyd, who intermittently switches from saxophone to flute, and the younger Lage only helps the ideas develop and the improvisations unfold. Maestro Hussain is an award-winning tabla and percussion guru, and we're sure his role here, as well as his lifting tunes, will immerse you in this spiritual and musical journey. All seven pieces have a hypnotic and meditative charge, conveying Lloyd's respect for Indian roots in music and philosophy, but also bringing real delight to the ear in the spirit of the finest jazz improvisational traditions. It's no coincidence that, before shaping the pieces as the third part of Lloyd's trio project, the three musicians launched a live concert series a year earlier - a veritable feast for improvisers of such class.
Today we travel east with the “Trios: Sacred Thread project”, which you'll find across digital platforms.
February 2023
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