Probably an acquired taste but not one I arrived at through veteran saxophonist Charles Lloyd, who I've never explored much, though his playing remains masterful despite his advanced years. My entrance came via the late great tabla master Zakir Hussain via his association with guitar pioneer John McLaughlin.
It was by chance that I saw the original Mahavishnu Orchestra as an impressionable twelve year old in 1973, and while I'd moved on by the time he created Shakti, McLaughlin had left such an impression on me that I watched a South Bank Show devoted to his new band; a supergroup of Indian musicians which included Zakir Hussain.
A decade later three of the original band would reunite to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the partition of India and Pakistan (I saw Ravi Shankar around the same time) and, while McLaughlin drew the most applause, this was the only occasion I've ever seen him blown off the stage, and I've maintained a close interest in the tabla maestro ever since.
The first Sangam album was a live set recorded in Santa Barbara in 2004 and only features the three of them, though Lloyd and Harland each double on piano and Zakir adds an occasional voice. As the title suggests, the new album, from 2009, features additional musicians on the first two and last two of the seven tracks and - crucially - Vijay Prakesh on vocals.
Further contrast is achieved by Lloyd switching between tenor, alto and flute, including playing saxophone and flute on three tracks, but the overall feel of the albums remains fluid and seamless. All the pieces were written by Lloyd except Jai Ganga credited to 'traditional', but it's the dynamics and interplay between the trio and the extended band which make the whole thing so compelling.
If you've already acquired the taste or are sufficiently curious to investigate, I would recommend this album and the previous set - simply titled Sangam - equally, as well as perhaps Zakir Hussain's most accessible solo album Making Music, which features Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek on sax, as well as John McLaughlin. Steve T
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