Charles Lloyd - Rabo De Nube

[six string]

For those of us who picked up Lloyd in his ECM phase, where should we start to explore his earlier work?

Are there particular recordings from his younger years that aren't too out there?

His first album on Columbia, Discovery! is very good. Of Course, Of Course is his second album I believe and it's also very strong. I think Discovery got a cd release in the last year or so and the other one is available as a Mosaic single which is how I acquired it. My copy of Discovery! is a wlp so I haven't heard the cd version. Both show him in a more agressive/Trane like sound and bears little resemblance to his ECM recordings.

I only recently bought Rabo De Nube and really like it alot. IMO it's his best album in many years. I really like his band with Bobo Stenson but Jason Moran is really special on this one.

I'll second or third his playing with Chico Hamilton from the Impulse years.

[GA Russell]

I've just listened to Rabo De Nube tonight for the first time in a very long time, and I liked it more than ever.

I agree with the above comments that Jason Moran's piano work make the album.

[GA Russell]

...btw--on Night Lights we'll be doing Jazz Flower Power: the Charles Lloyd Quartet, featuring music from Lloyd's mid-1960s quartet with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette, along with remarks from Lloyd manager George Avakian.

My recollection is that Lloyd's breakthrough came about when he was touring Russia with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette. George Avakian went with them, and he had Lloyd send Russian scenery picture postcards to many US jazz disc jockeys. So the DJs started playing his records more often.