American artists, saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd and pianist Jason Moran have released a joint album called Hagar’s Song.
This is not the first collaboration of these two respectable musicians. Moran is a permanent member of Lloyd’s quartet since 2007 and has been recording with him on three albums: Rabo de Nube (2008), Mirror (2010) and Athens Concert (2012).
The album repertoire was chosen by Lloyd, among 14 compositions are Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo, George Gershwin’s Bess, You Is My Woman Now, the jazz standard You’ve Changed strongly associated with Billie Holiday, and the Beach Boys ballad God Only Knows.
The album contains Hagar Suite as well, a five piece composition by Charles Lloyd dedicated to his great-grandmother who was taken from her home in south Mississippi at age 10 and sold to a slave-owner in Tennessee. “When I learned the story of her life it moved me very deeply. The suite mirrors different stages of her life; loss of family, loneliness, dreams, sorrow, and songs to her newborn children.”
During the 60’s Charles Lloyd hired for his bands young musicians of that time like Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. This period was rounded up by a quartet consisting of pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jack DeJohnette, after which Lloyd left the jazz scene. He collaborated in studio and on tours with the American band The Beach Boys during the 70’s.
His jazz comeback started in the 90’s when he started working with the record label ECM that released this album as well. Listen to Lloyd’s and Moran’s interpretation of You’ve Changed.