Charles Lloyd has always played with an immediacy that approached something like pop—at least, he never seemed to treat immediacy as a threat to his art. Recorded live with guitarist Bill Frisell (also part of Lloyd’s quintet, The Marvels) and bassist Thomas Morgan, Trios: Chapel is a beautiful affair, gentle in delivery but heavy on melody in a way that makes even its mercurial moments—the long tail of Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count”, the Eastern-ish modality of “Beyond Darkness”, where Lloyd plays flute—feel straightforward. And while some listeners might like variety in tempo or feel, part of Chapel’s appeal is how much grammatical ground it covers—blues, Latin music, the West Indies lilt of “Dorotea’s Studio”—while maintaining a steadiness and grace that makes it feel like a single, unified piece.
- Keith Jarrett
- Geri Allen, Charlie Haden & Paul Motian
- Wayne Shorter