April 25 20012

The New Charles Lloyd Quartet featuring Maria Farantouri played Herbst Sunday as part of SF Jazz.  This was a true meeting of world music.  Maria was the voice of Mikis Theodorakis' compositions, and a symbol of the resistance to the Greek military junta.  Charles Lloyd is one of my biggest musical influences.  To this day my love of major and minor 9ths and 13ths stems from his great quartet with Jack DeJohnette, Cecil McBee and Keith Jarrett. (For a while, Gabor Szabo was in the band!)  His New Quartet of the last several years includes Jason Moran, Eric Harland, and Reuben Rogers.  Along with Wayne Shorter's Quartet, I believe it is among the most important music being made.  Charles has known Maria for many years, and has studied Greek music.  All ethnic music has modes, and pentatonic scales, with micro tones (from Indian classical, to the blues).  Charles and Maria blended, seemingly effortlessly, while Eric Harland wove an infinite pattern of rhythms that would have confounded lesser talents.  True Genius!