Mit seinem »Trios«-Albumprojekt erfüllt sich Saxophonist Charles Lloyd einen ungewöhnlichen Traum: drei thematisch zusammenhängende Alben in jeweils unterschiedlichen Trio-Besetzungen, ein »Trio Of Trios«.

Das erste Album »Chapel« nahm er mit Gitarrist Bill Frisell und Bassist Thomas Morgan auf, es folgte »Ocean« mit Gitarrist Anthony Wilson und Pianist Gerald Clayton. »Sacred Thread« mit Gitarrist Julian Lage und Schlagzeuger Zakir Hussain bildet jetzt den krönenden Abschluss.

Trios: Sacred Thread is the third and final album in Charles Lloyd's Trio of Trios project in 2022. Its releases offer three different triads in concert settings, its players recruited from the saxophonist's vast stable of collaborators. Trios: Chapel, with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan, appeared in June offering jazz and Latin standards and Lloyd compositions dating back to the early 1960s. Trios: Ocean, with guitarist Anthony Wilson and pianist Gerald Clayton, followed in September. Its program was composed of four originals offered as vehicles for lengthy improvisation.

Trios: Sacred Thread places the saxophonist/composer in the company of guitarist Julian Lage and Indian percussionist/vocalist Zakir Hussain. On September 26, 2020, Lloyd livestreamed this concert for a virtual audience from Sonoma County, California. It is the only one of these three releases to include percussion and vocals, and the only entry to include compositions from another member of the group: Hussain wrote three of these seven tunes.

Set opener "Desolation Sound" is a ballad that originally appeared on 2010's Mirror. Lloyd's intimate, bluesy phrasing is painted by tablas and elegant chord voicings on electric guitar. Lage's solo follows Lloyd's own tender statement with denser, dark-tinged chords and eerie single lines. The saxophonist doesn't appear on "Guman," a brief guru devotion sung by Hussain in raga style with Lage as his accompanist. It segues into Lloyd's "Nachekita's Lament" (from 1998's Canto). The track follows the raga blueprint until the middle, then Hussain's moaning vocal chant and hand drums color Lage's droning modal blues chords. Lloyd's canny flute solo engages both players as the drama increases. There is some very inventive call-and-response between guitar, tablas, and voice in the final section. Lloyd plays tárogató on Hussain's brief, spiritual interlude "Saraswati," offered for the Hindu goddess of music and art. It introduces the percussionist's "Kuti," a long ballad commenced by a lilting flute. Lage's melodic chord voicings offer assonant support as Hussain sings. Halfway through, percussion increases the tempo as Lloyd and Lage dialogue. The guitarist's solo is particularly canny, with a diverse palette of shorts lines and phrases offering a multi-dimensional harmonic foundation. An earlier version of "Tales of Rumi" appeared on 2006's Sangam (featuring Hussain). Introduced by mridangam and tablas, it bubbles and flows before his bandmates enter juxtaposing Eastern (Lloyd) and Western (Lage) themes and harmonies. Closer "The Blessing" has a long history: Lloyd first performed it live in 1983 with pianist Michel Petrucciani. He later recorded a radically different version for 1993's The Call with a quartet. This one is delivered mostly as a duo between Lloyd's resonant tenor and Lage's mysterious, constantly illustrative six-string shapes. Hussain later underscores it from the margin with carefully placed handbells to which the guitarist responds with drama. Trios: Sacred Thread is the fitting sendoff volume for the project. Its tunes are wrought with nearly symbiotic aesthetic interplay, spiritual connection, intimacy, and even tenderness.

(by Thom Yurek, All Music Guide)