CHARLES LLOYD - 8 : Kindred Spirits Live at the Lobero Theatre (2020) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Saxophonist and composer Charles Lloyd celebrated his 80th birthday in 2018. His wife and manager Dorothy Darr decided to commemorate it with a series of shows that would, in and of themselves, be remarkable celebrations. 8: Kindred Spirits Live at the Libero was cut at the 150-year-old Libero Theater in Santa Barbara on March 15 (his actual birthday). Lloyd was in the company of a stellar band that included longtime drummer Eric Harland, and more recent companions pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Reuben Rogers, and guitarist Julian Lage. He was joined during the second set by organist Booker T. Jones and Blue Note boss Don Was. The full show was released as an expensive, limited-edition package that included three LPs, two compact discs, and a DVD of the entire performance, along with a whopping 96-page hardcover book and a pair of photo prints. This standard version contains both an audio disc and a DVD (or a pair of LPs) and a visual disc that features the concert’s first set sans guests, but it's quite strong on its own.

It opens with Lloyd's biggest "hit," a 20-plus minute version of "Dream Weaver," originally recorded in the mid-'60s. Its first five minutes are spent in warm yet abstract improvisation; Lloyd engages sound more than song. Clayton's ostinato ring & roll prompts Lage to deliver tight arpeggios atop Rogers' modal bass and Harland's intricate cymbal and snare play. At five minutes, Lloyd delivers a mantra-like phrase three times then engages the tune's melody. The band finds it quickly and settles into a simmering, song-like exchange; all players wind through and around one another, taking turns soloing before returning to the lucid groove. "Requiem," issued on Notes from Big Sur in 1992, finds the saxophonist delving deeply into the blues in both the intro and his solo, while Lage delivers a shadowy exercise in post-bop's scalar harmonics. The Mexican folk standard "La Llorona" has been with Lloyd since the beginning, though he didn't cut it in the studio until 2016. The frontline of Clayton (who at times gets his piano to sound like a marimba) and Lage offers a quiet drama and tension like a spell, until Harland sets it all free with his consummate fills and accents. The saxophonist enters at 5:33 and moans through his own lyric statement of the theme, adding whispers and wails, and turning it into an emotional watershed, especially when he quotes form "'Round Midnight." The closer, "Part 5: Ruminations," is a relatively new tune. Its early minutes are spent in improvisation, with Lloyd touching on mentors Coltrane, Rollins, Ben Webster, and Coleman Hawkins before Lage and Clayton push into the melody and swing it as Rogers states the groove. There are duo improvs between Lloyd and Lage (the latter's solo is magnificent), the guitarist and Clayton; Harland and Lloyd; Rogers and Lloyd, etc. At over 18 minutes, it is at once exploratory and accessible. This edition comes with its own 40-page hardbound book of photos that include stirring moments of now-absent figures from Lloyd's long life: pianist Michel Petrucciani, guitarist John Abercrombie, and drummer Billy Higgins. Arguably, this edition of 8: Kindred Spirits, though only a first set, is one of Lloyd's strongest live offerings to date.
|>This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'<|
Tracklist :
1     Dream Weaver 21:05
Charles Lloyd    
2     Requiem 11:32
Charles Lloyd    
3     La Llorona 9:03
Traditional    
4     Ruminations, Pt. 5 18:09
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Bass – Reuben Rogers
Drums – Eric Harland
Guitar – Julian Lage
Piano – Gerald Clayton
Saxophone – Charles Lloyd

JOHN ZORN : Midsummer Moons (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For millennia the moon has been a subject of deep fascination— a symbol of love, lust, madness and dreams. More than a passive observer, it is a powerful force whose brilliant luminosity exerts an intoxicating effect upon the winds, the tides, our emotions and more. This dark and moody CD of music inspired by Shakespearian Lunar imagery features ten lyrical compositions evoking the magic of Sister Moon. Stunningly performedby two of the most fabulous new guitarists working today—Julian Lage and Gyan Riley, this is a beautiful and heartfelt program of music for late night contemplation on a romantic midsummer evening. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Sliver'd in the Moon's Eclipse    4:56
2    Moonlight Revels    3:57
3    The Envious Moon    5:24
4    By Moonlight at Her Window Sung    3:42
5    This Lanthorn    3:06
6    Ill Met by Moonlight    4:14
7    Moon Take Thy Flight    3:26
8    And the Wolf Behowls the Moon    3:44
9    Moonbeams    4:01
10    Wand'ring Moon    5:42
Credits :
Composed By, Producer, Design [Flap Collage] – John Zorn
Guitar – Gyan Riley, Julian Lage
Painting – Ralph Blakelock
Words By [Quotes] – William Shakespeare

JOHN ZORN : Insurrection (2018) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

“Insurrection” is an intense new instrumental project featuring guitar wizards Julian Lage and Matt Hollenberg with the incredible rhythm section of Trevor Dunn and Kenny Grohowski. Inspired by some of the greatest experimental novels of the 20th century the music is incredibly varied, combining rock, funk, blues, jazz, classical and more—often in the same song! Gnarly atonal melodies, bizarre harmonies, astonishing guitar fireworks and telepathic group interaction make this one of Zorn’s most scintillating and adventurous new projects. Everyone is playing at their best here, and you have never heard such sounds! As always Zorn pulls the very best out of the musicians and they play some of the most outrageous solos you have ever heard. Essential! TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    The Recognitions    3:41
2    Pulsations    8:26
3    A Void    4:50
4    Mason And Dixon    5:04
5    Progeny    2:33
6    The Journal Of Albion Moonlight    6:55
7    The Atrocity Exhibition    4:44
8    The Unnameable    3:12
9    Cat's Cradle    3:07
10    Nostromo    3:47
Credits :
Bass – Trevor Dunn
Drums – Kenny Grohowski
Guitar – Julian Lage, Matt Hollenberg
Artwork [Collage], Music By [All], Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor [Conducted By], Producer [Produced By] – John Zorn

JOHN ZORN : Salem 1692 (2019) Archival Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second studio CD by Zorn’s incendiary new instrumental quartet Insurrection presents a remarkable suite evoking the tragic reign of terror in the Early American settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony commonly known as The Salem Witch Trials. The music is both intense and hauntingly beautiful, touching upon aspects of Possession, Magic, Witchcraft, Hysteria, Tragedy and Transformation. Tighter than ever, this dynamic instrumental quartet performs brilliantly in this spellbinding followup to their eponymous first release. Featuring some of the most insane guitar fireworks ever, Salem 1692 is no less than a musical reign of terror. TZADIK

Tracklist :    
1    The Devil Bid Me Serve Him    3:34
2    Spectral Evidence    4:05
3    Tituba    5:31
4    Witness To An Invisible World    3:28
5    Spell Bound    6:38
6    Malleus Maleficarum    2:32
7    Dark Of The Moon    4:40
8    Under An Evil Hand    3:44
9    Sarah Good    4:42
10    I Will Not Write In Your Book Though You Do Kill Me!    4:55
Credits :
Trevor Dunn : Bass
Kenny Grohowski : Drums
Matt Hollenberg : Guitar
Julian Lage : Guitar

JOHN ZORN : Teresa De Ávila (2021) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Preceded by "Nove Cantici per Francesco d’Assis"” and "Virtue (for Julian of Norwich)", "Teresa de Avila" is the third and final CD in Zorn’s trilogy inspired by towering figures of Christian mysticism. Written for the all-star acoustic guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley whose performances are steeped in a feeling of love and mutual respect, the music is both beautifully simple and strangely complex, drawing equally on classical modernism, bluegrass, jazz, Jewish and renaissance music. Filled with compositional surprises, mysterious moods, beautiful harmonies and a stunning lyricism, Teresa de Ávila is a must-have for all fans of acoustic guitar music. This is one of the most personal and varied books of music Zorn has yet written—a lovely tribute to the enduring legacy of one of the world’s most beloved spiritual figures. Includes an extended appreciation by renown philosopher Arnold Davidson. TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Melmoth    4:37
2    Flowers Of Heaven    5:43
3    Seven Spirits    2:33
4    The Watchers    4:58
5    Hail Holy Light    2:07
6    The Stygian Pool    4:09
7    From The Cave Of Treasures    5:40
8    Dark Angels    2:43
9    A Mantic Stain    5:18
10    Chaos And Eternal Light    3:53
Credits :
Artwork [Cover Painting Of Saint Teresa (1829) By] – François Gérard
Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor [Conducted By], Producer [Produced By] – John Zorn
Guitar – Bill Frisell, Gyan Riley, Julian Lage

JOHN ZORN - New Masada Quartet (2021) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The long awaited first recording by John Zorn’s newest and most exciting ensemble, the New Masada Quartet. Performing eight classic compositions from the Masada songbooks, NMQ is a tight unit of like-minded virtuosi and one of the best groups Zorn has ever had. Bristling hot guitar master Julian Lage, bass wizard Jorge Roeder and 30-year Zorn veteran Kenny Wollesen perform with a crackling live energy that brings the Masada music to life like never before! Led by Zorn’s versatile sax and stop and start conducting, the music is filled with burning solos, telepathic group interaction, heartfelt lyricism and hypnotic grooves. Beautifully recorded at Bill Laswell’s studio in New Jersey this is an absolute masterpiece. Essential! TZADIK
Tracklist :
1. Tharsis (10:27)
2. Rigal (6:10)
3. Hath Arob (5:11)
4. Sansanah (8:35)
5. Mibi (3:06)
6. Kedushah (10:00)
7. Tagriel (8:16)
8. Piram (1:15)
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Zorn
Bass – Jorge Roeder
Drums – Kenny Wollesen
Guitar – Julian Lage