Halfway through his eighth decade on this planet, Charles Lloyd has turned into literally the “voice” of jazz, as his tone on either sax or flute captures the spirit of modern music. On this double album, the only major surprise is having Jason Moran as pianist instead of Gerald Clayton, along with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade. He also stirs things up by adding the alto sax to his repertoire here, but for my ears you can barely hear the difference as his lower register is akin to his higher registered tenor.
On flute he is dainty with Grenadier on “Booker’s Garden” and gentle with the team on “Beyond Darkness”. Blade is lithe as he percolates on “Balm in Gilead” and rumbles under the flowing leader on “Defiant, Tender Warrior”. Lloyd’s tenor is frisky with Moran on a bouncy “Monk’s Mood” while you can hear his percussive pads with Moran on “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. Tone wise, Lloyd is mellow as he purrs on the rubato of “Cape To Cairo” and gasps through “When The Sun Comes Up, Darkness is Gone”. At this stage of his career, Lloyd is not meant to be heard, but felt.