When Charles Lloyd sold out a two-night gig at UCLA in January 1969, Richard Nixon was preparing to be sworn in as the 37th president of the United States of America.
Lloyd’s fusion–tinged take on jazz returns to Royce Hall on Friday, 44 years and seven presidents later. His saxophone performance will also feature Bill Frisell on the guitar, Ruben Rogers on the bass and Eric Harland on the drums.
Having grown up in Memphis, Tenn., studied music in California and lived in New York, Lloyd was exposed to a host of blues, jazz and rock throughout his early years – a mix that would later influence his sound.
Beginning as a blues player in Memphis, Lloyd moved to California to study music at the University of Southern California. His education helped cement his appreciation for music from around the globe, as his studies ranged from classical European to Asian music while at USC. These influences became apparent in his music: He incorporated the talents of Asian artists such as Ali Akbar Khan, an Indian sarod player and tabla player Zakir Hussein, to accompany his jazz.
“If you love music, you love a lot of it and if (the music) is good, I’m there,” Lloyd said.
After graduating college, Lloyd moved to New York and later back to California.On the way, he became acquainted with popular ’50s and ’60s American musicians, from jazz greats such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane to rock and pop stalwarts Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and The Beach Boys. Lloyd would also perform with The Beach Boys, collaborating on their records “Surf’s Up” and “Holland.” Lloyd’s first solo hit, “Forest Flower,” came in 1966. However, in the ’70s, Lloyd relocated to Big Sur at the height of his popularity, only re-emerging to the public a decade later.
The art of collaborating and improvising is central to jazz, and Lloyd’s take on these ethos are deeply rooted in spirituality highlighting the influence of his internal journey during the 1970s.
“As an artist, I’m always growing. I’m always searching. Through collaboration my music has grown deeper,” Lloyd said. “Music is the fourth dimension, a spiritual quest. It is its own entity. I love the feeling of liftoff, freshness and exploration, freedom and wonder.”
Phil Rosenthal, curator of jazz for the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, said the quality of Lloyd, his backing musicians and their familiarity on stage promises to excite.
“The lineup assembled by Lloyd is one of the best in jazz. They’re all at the top of their game,” Rosenthal said. “Frisell and Lloyd together is a very special combination.”
The familial atmosphere within Lloyd’s musicians translates into chemistry that is second nature between the performers and allows for improvisation that emerges organically, said Frisell.
“On stage with (Lloyd), there is no competition. There are no worries, no mistakes, no rights or wrongs, ” Frisell said. “We don’t really rehearse. When you’ve been playing your whole life, you don’t need to talk about (music) in that way. I feel at home when I’m on stage with (Lloyd).”
Lloyd’s performance on Friday will celebrate his legacy, Rosenthal said.
“Jazz, more so than any other musical genre, is very proud of its history and as an art form is one of the best at honoring its masters – but (the performance will) still sound completely fresh and new,” Rosenthal said. “Lloyd’s performance will honor his legacy and trace his musical lineage back to the start, while at the same time pass the torch forward. (It will be) a beautiful thing.”