tonym Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Gary has kindly given me the nod to provide the next AotW. I have decided to go with this for a few reasons. This is the last album I really fell in love with. Many may think it's a good album but not great. However, it's definately become one of my old slippers . There may be Lloyd detractors out there; Coltrane - 'lite' as I've heard it put before (I hope Gary isn't offended) and sure Mehldau has his fair share of critics. I think they're made for each other, in the best possible way. The way the whole band gels and the shifting textures provided by some of my favourite musicians. Great tunes, gorgeous harmonies and superb expressive playing --- ECM sound ? I don't know if there ever was one but this album let's you hear Billy Higgins literally putting his whole self behind the band. I hope it is a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Gary has kindly given me the nod to provide the next AotW. I have decided to go with this for a few reasons. This is the last album I really fell in love with. Many may think it's a good album but not great. However, it's definately become one of my old slippers . There may be Lloyd detractors out there; Coltrane - 'lite' as I've heard it put before (I hope Gary isn't offended) and sure Mehldau has his fair share of critics. I think they're made for each other, in the best possible way. The way the whole band gels and the shifting textures provided by some of my favourite musicians. Great tunes, gorgeous harmonies and superb expressive playing --- ECM sound ? I don't know if there ever was one but this album let's you hear Billy Higgins literally putting his whole self behind the band. I hope it is a good choice. Great choice! Looking forward to discussing this. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Ooo... love this record. I played it for Ron Blake and he told some interesting stories about Charles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 It's a good choice since I have the album but for sure I wouldn't have chosen it were it my decision. The disc has a nice relaxed feeling, Mehldau and Abercrombie are among my favorite musicians (that are active on the scene today), Grenadier is probably one of the most talented young bassists (even his walking lines are very melodic), Higgins is always great and Lloyd too. Still there is nothing special in the album: it's not controversial, ground breaking, classic, very bad, unknown or underrated. I'm glad nevertheless that it was chosen since it deserves a few more close listens. One thing I noticed is that Lloyd tenor is very untypical; sometimes he sounds like an alto or even soprano (the pitch and also the texture/sound of the notes he plays). Ooo... love this record. I played it for Ron Blake and he told some interesting stories about Charles. You made me curious. What stories? The way the whole band gels and the shifting textures provided by some of my favourite musicians. What do you mean? Can you give examples please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonym Posted October 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Well Clem, I missed out completely on Lloyd's 'hippie' phase, I have not even decided to search back there. As I can't really hear any overt 'spirituality' in his sound as a tenor player or in his ideas, I therefore don't associate any 'spiritual' overtones with his playing. What I do hear is a gorgeous (IMO) tenorman's sound, one that I would try to emulate if it wasn't for me striving to achieve a sound like Getz's. I hear Lloyd interpreting a melody with the least possible ornamentation bu relying upon that hollow, woody tone. Then at other times I hear lavish glissandi and seemless harmonic invention. Like a less raucous Hawkins. I hear Mehldau. And this Mehldau is playing in a band, a first for me as prior to getting this recording I had only heard him in his trio setting. He seems to be actually, the perfect accompanist. I also like the way the band, much in part due to Higgins, shift briefly from limpid balled into light swing, as on Black Butterfly. Obviously there will be those who think the date doesn't swing at all. The light latin number Figure In Blue glides along effortlessly as all light latin numbers should. For me a bonus is the duet between Mehldau and Lloyd on The Monk & The Mermaid which has both a playful and intense feel. Interesting how you chose to qualify some ECM recordings for your preferred listening pleasure as I don't associate any one sound with the label, much as I can't attribute any given sound to Verve or any other label for that matter (except of course many, many 60's Blue Notes). I accept that much of the album is contemplative, lacking in that punch in the gut bravado or freshly squeezed juice on the morning of a hangover that many more zestful albums possess. It does, though, communicate some wonderful musical ideas to me. One tune, Lady Day, is for me one of the most lyrical and beautiful tunes I've ever heard. It literally makes the hairs on my back stand up. And I'm a cold hard bastard. Lastly, I don't want to be picky, but when was is suggested that "groundbreaking", "controversial" or "classic" the criteria upon which albums should be picked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 I like this cd as I tend to like much of Charles Lloyd's stuff. Beautiful tunes. Mehldau is terrific as is Higgins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonym Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 (edited) also, i only brought in the other ECM artists to disabuse anyone from thinking i had any problem w/the so-called "ECM Sound"-- which you know is quite diverse. That's fair enough, thanks for clarifying that point Clem. I'm just about to do a Google on Kvass; never heard of it but I'm curious to try all things alcoholic. Actually I'm ahead of myself, getting carried away, it may be alcohol free. Edited October 19, 2004 by tonym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrdlu Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 I always felt that there was an "ECM sound". This is not a very scientific study, but I thought that their LPs tended to be rather arty and cold. As an example, Return To Forever's LP was not as funky as their "Light As A Feather" album, I felt back then. (The two LPs were pretty much contemporaneous, as I recall.) I did like the Keith Jarrett 3 LP solo piano set, and the two Chick Corea solo piano LPs, and now have them on CD. Tony, for what my opinion is worth, avoid Lloyd's hippy-era Atlantic albums. I got at least one of them when it/they first came out, and I felt very frustrated by his general refusal to land on any solid chords or melodies. I recall, especially, a blues where I just wished that he would dig in, but he was like a fly that won't land anywhere. Now, Sammy Rivers is a bit like that - for example, on the Larry Young session - but he manages to leave you with a good feeling, which Charles did not. I am not averse to avant garde stuff, and enjoy the late Trane stuff, and Pharoah, when in the mood, so that is not the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted October 23, 2004 Report Share Posted October 23, 2004 One strange observation: I didn't want to listen once again to the album. I think this recording is good in the same way as cream cake is tasty. You know it is tasty but you just can't eat too much of it. The same with this album: I know it's good, but it seems that each time I tried to listen to it seriously I found something else more interesting to listen (like Trane's Ascension). Well, I'll try once again tonight… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcy62 Posted October 23, 2004 Report Share Posted October 23, 2004 I haven't any problems with ECM sound. I love this album. I found Lloyd more interesting when he lost his Trane sound, more relaxin, like someone who had found his music. Like vine, I think Lloyd is aged well, maybe matured? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 OK, I listened to most of this album earlier this evening so my thoughts... There's some really lovely playing on this album, particularly by Mehldau and Lloyd. The three long tracks near the middle of the album are the meat of it. The Lloyd-Mehldau duet "The Monk and the Mermaid" is IMHO the best thing on the album, and one of the best things I’ve heard from Lloyd, period. (By the way, anybody have ideas about which guy is the monk and which is the mermaid? and are we talking about the clerical type, or the loneliest type?) I like the exchange around 2:30, Mehldau’s solo afterward, and Lloyd’s anguished playing around 7:30. "Song of Her" and "Lady Day" have some profound playing by both of them; Lloyd’s second solo on “Lady Day” is pretty special, I think. As far as the rest of the album, I like it a lot. The two Duke tunes are really nice. “Georgia” is wonderful, and Mehldau’s solo is great on it. Lloyd’s tone is a little thin on this album (and Hyperion with Higgins) in comparison to the earlier ECM albums. I’m not sure why. But there isn’t a lot of the powerful playing you can hear on Canto (which is my favorite CL) or All My Relations. Still, I'd think that after Canto this album comes a close 2nd. I don't think of this album as having anything to do with what people stereotype as "the ECM sound" -- lots of boomy reverb, evoking northern landscapes, etc. Some of Lloyd's other albums do sound more ECMish (Canto for instance), this one doesn't. It could have comfortably shown up on another label as sort of a "ballads" release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 Tony, for what my opinion is worth, avoid Lloyd's hippy-era Atlantic albums. I got at least one of them when it/they first came out, and I felt very frustrated by his general refusal to land on any solid chords or melodies. I recall, especially, a blues where I just wished that he would dig in, but he was like a fly that won't land anywhere. Funny, that's kind of why I like Lloyd In the sense that he doesn't try to gut-punch you, but rather tries to induce you to follow him. It seems to me that a lot of his playing is about creating a mood, or a set of feelings, rather than displaying a particular technique or musical theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I love this album. The playing is superb, plus.... is a great album to have in the background while making love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.