Drink From the Well

August 18th, 2005
Jumping the Creek
Charles Lloyd - (ECM)

So far, tenor saxophonist Lloyd's Jumping the Creek, recorded with his quartet of Geri Allen (piano), Robert Hurst (bass) and Eric Harland (drums), is my favourite jazz release of the year. First of all, Lloyd is a wonderful player whose melodic lines sing with a feathery lightness that is grounded in the gravitas of his tone, which draws on the inspiration of John Coltrane. Second, this is an actual working quartet whose players, with some miles behind them, communicate at the highest level with one another. Finally, there is so much depth to the music itself - no matter how meditative it gets, it burns with intensity - that I just can't stop coming back to drink from the well.

Mike Chamberlain

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