Rabo de Nube

I saw Charles Lloyd with this quartet last year so it was a real pleasure to find a live recording. He has done so much over the years, from his ever-popular Forest Flower to his recent foray with Zakir Hussain on Sangam. I'm not quite sure what amazon means by "first live quartet album," as he has recorded many live albums, including one of my favorites, A Night In Copenhagen, in 1983.

There are so many good things to say about this recording. It flows naturally and beautifully from start to finish with Lloyd never seeming to miss a beautiful note. He has to have one of the purest tones in jazz. Jason Moran is a wonderful addition to the quartet, replacing Geri Allen on piano. Eric Harland is first rate on drums and Reuben Rogers fills out the young rhythm section on bass. Lloyd presides over the group like a divining force, drawing on a rich legacy of music from the mighty Prometheus to the title song, Rabo de Nube. Lloyd seems a natural on the world stage as he has long had a global vision, having broken the iron curtain many years ago with his band in Tallinn (1970) that included Keith Jarrett and Jack de Johhnette.

charles lloyd exhibits generosity and grace in not bringing the musical proceedings to a halt after jason moran establishes his presence with his first note, and moran never lets up. jason moran is lloyd's prometheus and this is probably one of his finest recordings, after going down some dull roads jason moran is back on track. the virtuosity displayed on earlier solo performances and on his recording featuring sam rivers, finds its fit as part of charles lloyd's quartet in arrangements as evenly distributive of work by the four players as displayed by the members of coltrane's quartet on a love supreme. not that you need to time the solos of the players, given a listen the balance is evident.

on the second selection, migration of spirit, lloyd again evokes coltrane, in a different context, as player nodding to coltrane's rendition of nature boy, and his own rendition on jumping the creek of gloomy sunday.

included by the united states poet laureate, charles simic, is a poem in the linear notes entitled `two for lloyd', a title, i would guess, inspired by by archie shepp's four for trane and marion brown's three for shepp, simic's two quartets, the first composed in quatrains, reflecting a poetic formal homage of the musical group setting.

here, simic's on top, moran's on top, lloyd's on top, and the quartet's all it's should be. or, arguably, for those who like to argue about such matters, maybe not, in which case, i eagerly await their next recording. but come what may, this is the recording for now worth hearing and having.

Charles Lloyd continues his musical (and spiritual) journey with a fine album as his group plays both for themselves and the listening audience. Not the warm groove of "Canto" or" Hymn to the Mother" but these are difficult times. There is an exquisiteness to his playing and the mix of sidemen is inspiring. Indeed many of the Lloyd alumni have gone on to fine careers of giving to us and the music.

I have been a fan of Charles Lloyd for a long time. I have never heard him sound better. Great Music by one of the all time greats.

Joe Bordelon
Katy, Tx

Overview:
At age 70 Charles Lloyd has delivered the best performance of his career. However, credit for this fantastic live set belongs to all performers on this group not just Lloyd. Each performer (Jason Moran on piano, Eric Harland on drums, Rueben Rogers on bass) play with telepathic communication and flawless execution on this live set recorded in Europe in 2007. The music at times reminds one of Miles Davis' mid 60's work, Coltrane's mid 60's work, and on some tracks pay tribute to Thelonious Monk. The sound quality of the set is beyond perfect. Each musician's instrument can be heard with crystal clear accuracy. If a pin dropped on the stage, you would have heard it. While I've grown to expect outstanding performances from Lloyd, Moran, and Harland I was not familiar with bassist Rueben Rogers before listening to this set. I have to say I could not have been more impressed in my first listen of his work. Throughout the set Rogers delivers tight walking bass lines that fit perfectly and also has many brilliant solos. This will be on everyone's list of the best albums for 2008 and will top many listeners' list for top album of the year.

Songs Highlights:

Prometheus - In Greek mythology Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man. This is an apt title for this creative and explorative song. The song reminds me a lot of Wayne Shorter and Mile Davis' work in the 60's. There is a mood of discovery on this song. The song begins with a solo statement by Lloyd with light backing by Harland on percussion. Throughout the song Harland's light pulsing drums remind one of Tony Williams.

Migration of the Spirit - One can help but think of John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane when listing to this passionate performance. The song opens with a moody statement by bassist Rogers. Lloyd then follows with a heart-felt introduction before the rest of the band joins in. The song reminds me a lot of A Love Supreme. Moran seems to incorporate elements of McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane's piano playing into his work on this song, which fits perfectly and makes this song something special.

Booker's Garden - This track features Lloyd's flute playing. The track opens with a flue solo by Lloyd and has a light happy airy mood to it. It is the perfect song to follow the somber Migration of the Spirit. At about the 5 minute mark the song transforms when bassist throws a bombshell of a killer walking bass line into the mix, which speeds up the song.

Ramanujan - Lloyd opens this song with an Arabic sounding sax solo. Harland quickly joins in with a killer "rat-tat-tat-tat" tinny drum line that invokes a mood of Middle Eastern coffee house. Moran then joins in and drops some loose runs on the low notes of the piano.

I will admit, I have only recently become a fan of Charles Lloyd, but with this album I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am a fan as devoted as any other for life. 'Rabo de Nube' is definitely the best new jazz album I have heard this year, probably this decade. there just too much to say in praise of it... Where to begin.

This is a new band. Recently Lloyd has been playing a good deal with the phenomenally talented drummer Eric Harland (see 'Sangam' and 'Jumping the creek' both fine albums in their own right, though not quite like this I might argue) and in no way does Harland disappoint. His versatility and ability to be either very subtle or powerful and overstated is there as always and his drumming adds quite a lot to the mix. Jason Moran on piano and Reuben Rogers are new members to the quartet and they could not fit in better. Moran in particularly is just spectacular. He brings an energy and force to the quartet that is right at home and some of his playing is so good its frightening. His solo on "Sweet Georgia Bright" (my favorite song on the album) is just too good to be true. He takes off from Lloyd's solo with almost fanatic energy, cools down a down bit to restate a portion of the head of the song with a variation or two then goes off on his own. The solo grows and grows until reaches almost dizzyingly fast flurries of notes until it hits a solid groove right before the end of his solo. Thirty seconds of the best feeling swing in a sort of stride piano style thats ends with a long fall, at which point the piano drops out to give the bass some room. It is a truly awesome moment. I had to stop to catch my breath, listen to it again and then catch my breath again.

Lloyd himself has never sounded better. Like a fine wine he has just gotten better. His breathy, Coltrane like licks are so subtle and he can do so much. He has a nice range here, from hard-blowing "Sweet Georgia Bright to mor cerebral pieces "Prometheus" and "Ramanujan". He varies his instrumentation a little bit with his flute "Booker's Garden" and the eastern Taragato instrument on "Ramanujan". Booker's Garden is great tune, very interesting, in part because the contrast between its soft, somewhat cautious introduction and the rest of the song, which is perhaps what the classic Coltrane quartet would sound like if it had a funk influence.

Every once in a while an album comes out that's just mind blowing. I can still remember the first time I put 'A Love Supreme' on, or the opening of Mahavishnu Orchestra's 'Inner Mounting Flame' or the way Brecker interacted with the strings on 'Broadband', the first track of his album 'Wide Angles'. Although 'Rabo de Nube" is definitely in its own category when compared to the other albums listed above, it was no less spectacular. This is not an album I can praise highly enough. Although a lot has changed since his earlier Lloyd, Jarret, DeJohnette and McBee quartet, it has been for the better. He has created a true testament to the power of music.

Lloyd does it again with Rabo de Nube. His mystical explorations mix well with Jason Moran's playful neo-honkytonk musings. Amazing rhythm section as well (as always). An instant classic!

Lloyd has always led groups that tend to emphasize his own individual genius, with himself as the primary soloist (on tenor, bass clarinet, & flute) in front of a rhythm section. His rhythm sections have always contained a pianist of the highest order who is well versed in both the jazz and classical traditions--Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Bobo Stenson, Geri Allen, and now Jason Moran. While Lloyd has always allowed his pianists considerable solo space, Moran really steals the show here. Lloyd's solos are similar to the searching style that his defined much of his playing, but here he solos a bit more quietly--a lot of flute and bass clarinet--and a bit more sparsely than usual, in the style of his early 90s ECM recordings. Moran, on the other hand, is less subdued with a lot of rolling and really exciting solos that counterbalance Lloyd's approach. The musical dialogue between the two players gives on the feeling that Lloyd's musical searching and careful selection of every note is answered by the joyous discoveries that flow through Moran's effusive solos. While Moran's playing seems somewhat aggressive compared to that of previous Lloyd accompanists, it is far less experimental than a lot of his work as a leader with Blue Note (I like his Blue Note stuff, but prefer his playing here). Reuben Rogers on bass and especially Eric Harland on drums add a complex rhythmic drive to both Lloyd and Moran's playing. Definitely one of the best jazz cds released so far in 2008.

While its downright impossible for me to match the eloquence and articulate content of the other reviewers for this CD, who have reviewed this masterpiece with the accolades it richly deserves. I have to say, i purchased one other CD at the same time, "Jazz at massey Hall" along with this, two powerhouse records.

The integrity and teamwork involved in this CD is perfect and the best part is, with each listen, its an opportunity of Kaizen which is answered with subsequent listens! :) I cannot add anything more to what has already been praised about this CD... Please do buy it, its simply an overwhelming listen, that would get your inspirations and senses flowing again!
Five Stars!

Standout track ( on repeat mode in my player ) : Migration of Spirit

I have 5 Charles Lloyd recordings,Dream Weaver,Forest Flower,Love-in,Hyperion with Higgins,and Voice in the Night.This is easily as good as any of those.Each member of the band is a very tasty player.I should check Lloyd out live when he comes to the bay area.Very beautiful and inspiring music!

Magnificent! Magnificent! Magnificent!

Lloyd fanatics will eat this up! The playing
is intense and the track selection is very
balanced with all the delicious Lloyd flavors.
Lots of flute time on this one also for all those
fans who yearn for more Lloyd flute tracks on his
releases. I am new to Jason Moran and this
guy is beyond spectacular ...reminds me a lot
of McCoy Tyner at times and of course Monk.
Also, the recording is excellent and very
intimate. Carlos Santana has been quoted
as saying that the 70 year old
Charles Lloyd is one of America's
greatest living musical treasures. I can't
wait to hear what he will sound like when he
is 80!

Five HUGE Stars!! Featuring the legendary jazz giant Charles Lloyd on alto flute, tárogató, and his mighty tenor saxophone; an effusive Jason Moran on piano; Reuben Rogers' stalwart bass and a fiery Eric Harland on drums & percussion, this set was recorded live in 2007 in Basel Switzerland. Mr Lloyd, now 70ish, continues to ardently play with fire, swing, and a technique that's somewhat reflective of Coltrane but still Lloyd's own full-tilt recognizable musical sonorities and unique compositions. Eric Harland pushes the virtuosic Mr Lloyd to unleash his profound art, prodding the group along at a furious pace on the up-tempo numbers & moderate swingers, and effectively coloring the ballads. And Charles Lloyd's tenor sax and flute have never sounded better, wonderfully recorded here.

The 'best of the best' begin with "Prometheus" as the group alternates between 'storm and eye-of-the-storm' passages with Charles and Jason getting off some amazing solos. The multi-phased "Booker's Garden" is a flute vehicle with a hint of raegae back beat and is dedicated to a friend of Lloyd's, the late star-crossed trumpeter Booker Little, and it's a wild ride. The four-note motif "Migration of Spirit" begins earthbound before it soars skyward with Reuben Rogers out of tempo, staying out of tempo as Lloyd's mellow tenor sax enters, then patiently accelerating into a grooving tempo with LLoyd getting off a great solo and then Jason effectively funks up the proceedings with single and double handed flurries: a great performance!! "La Colline de Monk" is a beautiful tone poem with Lloyd and Moran in duo. The smoldering "Ramanujan" has LLoyd blazing away on a klezmer-related Eastern European instrument, the tárogató, while Moran expands the piano's frontiers with his percussive harmonics and Harland uses blazing rim shots. The lovely ballad "Rabo de Nube" ('Tail Cloud' or whirlwind) by Cuban legend Silvio Rodriguez is pure poetry and gets to the essence of the song, just as Silvio performs it in public. In all, a great virtuosic jazz performance by Charles Lloyd and friends in this 21st Century European live set and it gets My Highest Recommendation!! Bravo, Mr Lloyd! Five HIP Stars!! (This review is based on an iTunes download.)