Jazz master Charles Lloyd continues to expand his artistic horizons with the upcoming release of Figure In Blue, a spacious double album set to arrive October 10 via Blue Note Records. At 87 years old, the revered saxophonist and flutist remains as adventurous as ever, presenting a new studio recording with a fresh trio featuring pianist Jason Moran and guitarist Marvin Sewell.
Available for pre-order now in multiple formats — including Blue Note Store exclusive color vinyl, standard black vinyl, CD, and digital download — Figure In Blue captures Lloyd at a reflective yet radiant stage of his career. The elegant title track, “Figure In Blue, memories of Duke,” offers a graceful homage to Duke Ellington, and sets the tone for an album that traverses everything from delicate ballads to earthy Delta blues.
A Living Memoir in Sound
Across two discs of new originals, reimagined earlier works, and carefully chosen tributes, Lloyd crafts what feels like both a personal memoir and a bold artistic statement. The album contains dedications to Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Zakir Hussain, while also reaffirming Lloyd’s own voice as one of jazz’s most distinctive storytellers. His sound remains both mighty and ethereal — powerful in its surges of intensity, yet equally moving in hushed, meditative passages.
The Trio: Empathy in Motion
Lloyd first convened this new trio for his 87th birthday concert at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara. The immediate chemistry convinced him to take the group into the studio.
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Jason Moran, a pianist from Houston and one of the most influential voices of his generation, has been a trusted collaborator of Lloyd’s for nearly two decades. Their connection, Lloyd says, requires “very few words” to find the heart of the music.
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Marvin Sewell, equally at home in classical piano, jazz guitar, and bottleneck blues, brings a soulful authenticity rooted in his family ties to the Mississippi Delta. His playing evokes Lloyd’s own Memphis beginnings, a reminder of the trials and triumphs of the South’s red clay roads.
The result is an ensemble defined by empathy — each musician deeply attuned to when to lead and when to listen.
Breaking New Ground
Though Lloyd has often explored unconventional trio settings — from his groundbreaking Sangam project with Zakir Hussain to the Trio of Trios recordings — Figure In Blue stands apart. It radiates a new sense of harmony, patience, and generosity. The album projects reverence for the past while charting a luminous new chapter in Lloyd’s journey.
As he nears his tenth decade, Charles Lloyd proves once more that jazz is not only about mastery of form, but also about living, breathing evolution. Figure In Blue is both a testament to his legacy and a gift for the future.
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