Charles Lloyd New Quartet - Passin' Thru

A living jazz saxophone legend returns with a new album

Saxophonist, flutist, composer, and jazz mystic Charles Lloyd returns with his latest Blue Note offering, Passin' Thru, a passionate live recording that marks the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed and enduring New Quartet featuring pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland, a simpatico unit that teems with intuition, contemplation and playfulness. The album is a dynamic seven-song collection of Lloyd compositions old and new including the swinging and gleeful title track "Passin' Thru" (first recorded in 1963 when Lloyd was a member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet).

Lloyd says, "It's a small planet, and we are just passing through on our journey to One. Every now and then there are important intersections. This quartet with Jason, Reuben and Eric coalesced very organically in April 2007. From the notes of our first concert, I knew that it was a magical formation."

Lloyd's wide recognition in recent years includes being named a 2015 NEA Jazz Master, receiving an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in 2015, and last year being inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. This year he has been honored by the renowned New York jazz cultural center, The Jazz Gallery, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.