Peter Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 A 2 disc set on ECM due out 3/30. With Billy Higgins. What I'm wondering is, are these all duets? Would be an interesting format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Here's the Amazon review: Sadness mixes with spiritual uplift on Which Way is East, an epic series of duets recorded by saxophonist Charles Lloyd and drummer Billy Higgins in Lloyd's home a few months before Higgins's death in 2001. The Californians were dear friends going back to their teens. Here, in eight connected suites performed on a full array of instruments, they filter their feelings for each other, their music, and their world through their religious outlooks--Lloyd is a Buddhist, Higgins was a devoted Muslim. The pieces range from spirited free jazz with Lloyd on tenor and Higgins at the traps to New Age reflections featuring Lloyd on taragato and Tibetan oboe and Higgins on hand drums and wood box. Higgins also dabbles with guitar and a Syrian "one-string," showing off a rarely heard facet of his talent. Clocking in at more than two and a half hours, the double CD is no short walk in the transcendental woods, but the varied instrumental settings keep things livelier than some of Lloyd's slowly paced band recordings. And on alto, Lloyd has fun trading in his debt to John Coltrane to emulate one of Higgins's many other legendary employers, Ornette Coleman. --Lloyd Sachs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 My brother just sent me this for my birthday. I was unaware of these recordings. So far they are fantastic and extremely varied. Duets and solo performances range from pure "world" music to jazz duet. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I only new one facet of Billy Higgins: drum kit. And I don't know much about Charles Lloyd at all. These two have an amazing rapport. I was also unaware of their relationship. ECM is mostly unfamiliar to me as well, so this is a new territory for me, as familiar as it seems. Highly recommended to Billy Higgins fans, drummers period, world music fans, Charles Lloyd fans, wind instrument fans period, solo and duet music fans. "World Music" mostly refers to North African sounds in this case. Beautiful photos inside, along with the prospect that the events were video-recorded. I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 The film's been shown I gather, it's called Home. I liked about 2/3rds of this set. The voice/guitar stuff is a bit of an indulgence though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted May 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 Agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 (edited) I'm surprised there has been such little discussion about this release, with all the positive reviews it's gotten and all the Lloyd fans on the board (connosieur series, where are you?). I've been thinking about getting this one when the budget allows Edited July 17, 2004 by GregK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted July 19, 2004 Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 (edited) I just read the last line of Sachs review and concluded he got it right: Charles Lloyd really comes on like Ornette at times, minus the plaintive blues cry. This is a fascinating recording and throws open a whole 'nother window on Higgins as musician. Then I wrote this -- The Islamic overtones of the entire disc, too, would seem to be a political statement at a time when jazz is really lacking in that sort of activity, Ted Sirota notwithstanding. So, "world music" plus the Islamic overtones -- some of the singing sounds more like prayer -- and this is a spiritualist recording, which might be said about a lot of Lloyd's music, but this one isn't trite or lifestyle or merely 'California' -- this is looking over the edge of life. -- before reading the rest of Lloyd's review. He, of course, wrote with more clarity and specificity, but the point is, whether you live in Mayberry or Chicago those spirit vibes come through strong in this recording. Edited July 19, 2004 by Lazaro Vega Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youmustbe Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I have a 14 minute duet Charles/Billy from the 93 Acoustic Masters Atlantic recording which was left off the record for contractual reasons. Killing! Hopefully, if Rhino ever wants to reissue that record, I'll give them the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I'm kinda bummed. I bought this disc a couple of weeks back, promptly spun it once, then seemed to misplace it. I mean, I know it's here somewhere, but we recently undertook a "spring cleaning" and lots of stuff was moved around and this was lost in the shuffle. Anyway, my expectations for this were very high, and I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say I was a tad disappointed upon a single listen. But it is highly personal music that I'm sure grows with repeated listenings. My first impulse was to compare it to Jarrett's "Spirits," which I happen to love but I know many dislike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I have a 14 minute duet Charles/Billy from the 93 Acoustic Masters Atlantic recording which was left off the record for contractual reasons. Killing! Hopefully, if Rhino ever wants to reissue that record, I'll give them the track. I just picked up that disc a few weeks back. Had to Ebay it as I've never seen a copy in the stores. Strong date. I can only hope that we'd someday hear the duet track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ariceffron Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I AM NOT SURE WEATHER I FAVOR LISTENING TO THIS YET BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT RULES IM SURE, IT WAS NOT INTENTED FOR US TO HEAR. BILLY AND CHARLES LLOYD MADE IT FOR THEMSELVES WHEN BILLY WAS DYING. IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE SOME SESSION FOR ECM. GERI ALLEN IS THE ONE WHO SOMEHOW PRUSUADED LLOYD TO RELEASE IT SAYING THE WORLD NEEDS IT NOW OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. DO U THINK BILLY WOULD WANT US TO HEAR IT. I THINK HE MIGHT. BUT THE RECORDING IS NOT INTENTED FOR US IT WAS MADE FOR THEM AND STUFF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 ARIC: I THINK I'LL TRUST LLOYD'S JUDGMENT OVER YOURS. AND STUFF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 WHETHER WE WERE MENT TO HERE IT OR NOT, I REALLY ENJOY THIS RECORD. THERE IS SOME GREAT PLAYING, ESPECIALLY THE TENOR OR ALTO/DRUM DUETS, BY BOTH. BEST LLOYD IN MANY YEARS, AND STUFF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Haven't heard this one yet. Will have to check it out. Sorry, Greg, for missing your earlier post. I'm working long and tiring hours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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