CHARLES LLOYD — Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams : Vanished Gardens (review)

CHARLES LLOYD — Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams : Vanished Gardens album cover

Album · 2018 · Pop/Art Song/Folk

4.5/5 · 2018-08-25
Matt

Lucinda Williams first ran into Charles Lloyd who himself was already was a fan from her “Car Wheel On a Gravel Road” days after attending one his concerts where they met back stage afterwards which planted the seed for this current project and latest release. Charles stated during an interview co- shared with Lucinda concerning the making of “Vanished Gardens” that “You can’t go in there with fixed ideas” and that perception he keeps throughout the production for the amalgamation of Jazz and Americana bringing something fresh and original for all of us with tired ears who often ponder these days even with a new artist who we have not heard prior, that when their music commences we think, “I’ve heard it before” but at least concerning this album that is difficult to claim. Five of the ten tracks comprising the album are instrumentals with three written by Charles with one other being the standard “Ballad Of The Sad Young Men” and the other being “Monks Dream” . Lucinda’s input is also five tracks taken from various albums from her past productions with the addition of the Jimi Hendrix tune “Angel”.

The album kicks off with the instrumental “Defiant” with Charles opening on tenor saxophone with a down tempo approach which turns to a rolling along number with Bill Frisell’s guitar coming in for the second solo followed by Greg Leisz on pedal steel and finishing up with Charles back again with his beautiful deep tone on tenor . This one has actually been released as a single. Lucinda William s comes in for the following number being “Dust” where the original tune is kept and easily recognisable which is maintained throughout the entire album for all her compositions included within but the difference lays with the backing Quintets input with the loops of Lloyds’s sax and the stretching out of the numbers. Bill Frisell with Greg Leisz open the title number “Vanished Gardens” with a slow build up till Charles appears getting stronger by the second. Another Williams number follows being her classic “Ventura” and once again keeping to its original construction but placed in a Jazz mode. The tracks alternate throughout the album’s duration with an instrumental followed by a Williams vocal song. Charles actually does a little singing in the background during “Unsuffer Me” being one of my favourites from the session but I may add that it is one of my picks from Lucinda’s back catalogue taken from her stunning album “West”. Charles also does do a flute lead for the lovely “Blues For Langston and LaRue” bringing a little more variety to it all.

Does it work?, sure does, I think more to the addition of guitar and pedal steel from Frisell and Leisz which brings a junction point for Charles Lloyd and Lucinda Williams being two Southern artists to combine for quite an interesting listen and yes, something different from two of today’s top musicians. Special mention for Reuben Rogers (bass) and Eric Harland on drums.