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A TAV Curator's Pick.

"On July 14, saxophonist, flutist, composer, and jazz mystic Charles Lloyd will release his latest Blue Note offering, Passin’ Thru, a passionate live recording that marks the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed and enduring New Quartet featuring pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland, a simpatico unit that teems with intuition, contemplation and playfulness. The album is a dynamic seven-song collection of Lloyd compositions old and new including the swinging and gleeful title track “Passin’ Thru” (first recorded in 1963 when Lloyd was a member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet)…

…In the summer of 2016, Lloyd reconvened the New Quartet for their first extended tour in several years. In fact, Passin’ Thru opens with the very first song performed on that tour: “Dream Weaver” recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on June 30 (the song was originally recorded on his first quartet’s 1966 debut album of the same name). The remaining six pieces were drawn from the band’s sublime performance at The Lensic in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 29. Lloyd dedicated that concert, as well as this album, to the memory of his dear departed friend Judith McBean (the closing piece “Shiva Dreams” was “a prayer and meditation for her.”)

When asked why he chose to reexamine songs from his past on Passin’ Thru, Lloyd responds, “‘Passin’ Thru’ and ‘Dream Weaver’ are among my many children. They left home and came back. I left home and came back. When we visit with each other we find we have more stories to tell. As they have matured, I have too. When I go out now, I bring many more years of experience that I did not have as an idealistic young man.”

Lloyd marvels at how the New Quartet members “have spread their wings in different ways.” However, he adds, “when we come together as a unit, we find the music and love has only grown deeper. The bond of our shared experiences on and off the stage informs and expands the music. A span of 10 years covers a lot of territory, but in the time frame of the Universe, it is a mere nanosecond.” ” – Blue Note

“The seven songs presented on Passin' Thru are indicative of the deep connections forged between these four men over a decade of exploration. When Lloyd takes flight with pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland by his side, there simply are no limits. These four harness the light and move through the darkness without fear, soaring into the heavens and plumbing the depths with a tremendous sense of curiosity, confidence, and candor. With the classic "Dream Weaver" comes rubato rumbles, scampering piano abstractions, cool rivers of sound, and deep dream states; on "Part 5, Ruminations," the entire outfit charms us with responsive telepathy, Moran takes us on a trip to remember, and Lloyd meditates and gravitates; in "Nu Blues," spang-a-lang sounds settle on the dirt, bringing earthy concepts into contact with some grit and grime; and with "Shiva Prayer," Lloyd and company drink from that meditative well that they know so well, hydrating souls and spirits in the process. There's a reason that this band is one of the most celebrated ensembles of our time, and it's connected to its seemingly self-contradictory skill of knowing how to hold on and let go all at once. That gift is there to see and hear in every performance on this album. This band may just be passing through life like the rest of us, but it's most certainly made its mark in the process.” – All About Jazz

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