Record Reviews

CHARLES LLOYD / MARIA FARANTOURI ~ ATHENS CONCERT ECM 2205/06 (Barcode: 602527678337) ~ USA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 A meeting of two musical Colossi: legendary US saxophonist / composer Charles LloydFind albums by this artist and no less legendary Greek singer Maria FarantouriFind albums by this artist, known worldwide not only a Greece´s first Lady of song but also as her country´s voice of conscience and political activism. Farantouri´s association with Greek national composer Mikis TheodorakisFind albums by this artist since the 1960s has placed her both in the centre of the country´s cultural life and its political struggle for liberty. Lloyd and Farantouri developed a close personal friendship over many years, which resulted in exposing him to Greek culture, history and of course music. Slowly they collected material they could perform together, which eventually let to this magical evening of music, captured live in the footsteps of the Acropolis. The participants include also the members of the Charles Lloyd quartet: pianist Jason MoranFind albums by this artist, bassist Reuben RogersFind albums by this artist and drummer Eric HarlandFind albums by this artist and two Greek musicians: Socratis SinopoulosFind albums by this artist on lyra and Takis FarazisFind albums by this artist on piano. Together these seven Artists create a universe of music so beautiful and aesthetically fulfilling that it leaves the listener completely awestruck and overwhelmed. Of course the marriage of Jazz with other forms of music like Folklore, World Music or Classical is quite common these days, but some of these attempts definitely work better than others. This one works wonderfully and presents not only a perfect amalgam of different musical traditions but also a perfect marriage of music and words, or in more global sense a cultural melting pot of rare magnitude. Thousands of years of human history, from ancient Greece to now, and thousands of miles linking Africa, Europe and America, all come together here, symbolizing the universality of the human culture, which knows no borders, no nations and no disparity. In the world completely obsessed with total decadence and complete lack of any values, cultural and moral, people who are able to make such artistic statement as this one should be cherished and applauded and I humbly join the ones who do just that. A strikingly beautiful piece of music!

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