I Long to See You [LP]

by Charles Lloyd, The Marvels, Charles Lloyd & the Marvels

Overview

Saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been working with guitarists periodically since the 1950s: Calvin Newborn, Gabor Szabo, John Abercrombie, and others have played in his bands. On I Long to See You, he (with his stellar rhythm section -- bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland) renews that relationship with two gifted players: Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz (the latter on lap and pedal steel). This program yields folk and spiritual songs, re-recordings of Lloyd's own tunes, a pop nugget, and a new original. In what feels like the input from the label, there are two guest vocal appearances to boot: Willie Nelson beautifully delivers Ed McCurdy's antiwar classic "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," and Norah Jones offers a slow, dreamy reading of "You Are So Beautiful." I Long to See You feels more like a collaboration between Lloyd and Frisell than a leader date, which is sometimes problematic: these men can be overly deferential to one another. The album starts promisingly with a brooding read of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" that threatens to explode at any moment. Frisell and Leisz (who have worked together a lot) take it through deep winding blues, building tension before Lloyd enters and carries it toward the outside before returning to blues, while Harland's circular drumming becomes somberly hypnotic. Lloyd plays flute on "Of Course, of Course" (originally recorded for an album of the same name for Columbia in 1964). Like its predecessor, it's tough, swinging post-bop with colorful slide guitar work and rim-shot syncopations. "La Llorona," from Lloyd's ECM years, is a standout: it captures his open, mournful, Spanish-tinged wail, fleshed out by elegant, timbral guitars, a sad bassline, and Harland's magical timekeeping. "Shenandoah" (which Frisell has recorded before), "All My Trials," and "Abide with Me" are all melodically attractive, but they lack the undercurrent of passion Lloyd has imbued traditional material with in the past. He and Frisell appear so seduced by their melodies, they treat them as fragile objects, not songs whose meanings need to be further explored. Frisell's speculative solo intro on "Sombrero Sam" is overly long; Lloyd's rhythmic sweeping flute doesn't enter until five minutes in, and slips out too quickly. The lone new tune, "Barche Lamsel," more than compensates. Over 16 minutes in length, it's easily the most exploratory thing here. It commences slowly but starts cooking five minutes in. Lloyd and the rhythm section are at their modal improvisational best, moving through folk, funk, blues, Eastern modes, and post-bop. Frisell and Leisz lend fine solos as well as layered textural and atmospheric support. The tune is a journey that ends in a question mark. I Long to See You is well worth investigating even if, at times, it is overly tentative. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	03/25/2016
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602547746498
Rank:	36951

Tracks

1. Masters of War
2. Of Course, Of Course
3. La Llorona
4. Shenandoah
5. Sombrero Sam
6. All My Trials
7. Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
8. Abide With Me
9. You Are So Beautiful
10. Barche Lamsel

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Charles Lloyd   Primary Artist,Sax (Tenor),Flute (Alto)
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels   Primary Artist
The Marvels   Primary Artist
Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Norah Jones   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Bill Frisell   Guitar
Greg Leisz   Guitar (Steel)
Eric Harland   Drums
Reuben Rogers   Bass

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Bob Dylan   Composer
Ed McCurdy   Composer
Dominic Camardella   Mixing,Engineer
Charles Lloyd   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Billy Preston   Composer
Joe Harley   Poetry
Dorothy Darr   Design,Producer,Photography
Don Was   A&R,Producer
Bruce Fisher   Composer
Tara Leigh Chiari   Marketing
Adam Camardella   Engineer
Eduardo Ribeiro   A&R