Deep Stacks No. 20 - The Water Is Wide

“THE WATER IS WIDE” - CHARLES LLOYD

Charles Lloyd is an artist who for me transcends genres so I hesitate to call him a jazz icon or a virtuoso saxophonist specifically because he's honestly in my opinion most purely a master melody-maker and improviser, a timeless composer, and a brilliant bandleader with a strong perspective about what music can and should be in our lives. His discography stretches from Atlantic to ECM to Blue Note with other notable recordings stints in between with a cast of supporting bandmates equal to such a prestigious run of legendary label contracts. His music although founded on jazz improvisation simmers with spiritual and world-music overtones, pulses with layered rhythms, and peaks in ecstatic flurries turning any room into an open introspective meditative space. His instrumental interpretations of classic folk songs such as "The Water Is Wide" and "Wayfaring Stranger" among many others is second to none, pulling his diverse mix of original, world, and roots music into a beautiful blend that has captivated audiences of all genres, ages, around the world for decades.