Search - Charles Lloyd :: The Call

On this decidedly low-key set, Charles Lloyd, on tenor throughout, seems suspended between surrender and desire, with lush, melancholy outcomes. Billy Hart has, by this time (The Call came in 1993), joined Lloyd's '90s quartet, and the results are auspicious. His even-keeled handling of the rhythm section, never shy and sometimes rattling, steers Lloyd out of the sleepy waters in which he occasionally risks foundering. Bobo Stenson, as always, displays poise and great taste at the piano, soloing long and gorgeously at the opening of the extended "Song." Anders Jormin's welling, liquid bass, well worth close attention, buoys the music impressively. Quietness, tinged with sadness, unifies the album. Mellowing, late-night listening, ideally not experienced solo. As titles like "The Blessing" reiterate, Lloyd's music is always about something more than just music. --Peter Monaghan