Lloyd Mixes Memphis Roots With Spiritual Statements

Too bad the film “Charles Lloyd: Memphis Is in Egypt” wasn’t shown as planned Saturday afternoon at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. Dorothy Darr’s documentary would have revealed the inspirations behind Charles Lloyd’s concert there Saturday night.

But even without the film, the nearly two-hour performance made clear the two-sided nature of Lloyd’s music, a mix of down-home roots and mystical spirituality (emphasized in Darr’s “Memphis/Egypt” association).

In the company of drummer Billy Higgins, pianist Bobo Stenson and bassist Jeffrey Littleton, Lloyd revealed his full musical personality to his concert audience of about 200 die-hards (enthusiastic and receptive even though they’d been kept waiting for 90 minutes). The saxophonist pursued long, meditative improvisations set against droning bass and ethnic polyrhythms, then followed up with straight-ahead, soulful blues played on flute.

As is made clear by the movie (which was shown Saturday night at the Magic Johnson Theatres in Baldwin Hills), these contrasting spiritual and physical sides spring from Lloyd’s roots in the Memphis jazz and soul scene and his longtime interest in the spiritual music of North Africa and India. The performance showed his skill in combining the two so homogeneously.

Moody backdrops framed his phrases, impressionistic effects and barely audible high notes that ended in whispers of breath. The atmosphere inside the theater, with its grand Zigzag-design, was especially suited to Lloyd’s devotional songs, and he took advantage of the sensitive acoustics with a wide variety of volumes.

He seemed especially responsive to Higgins, often following the drummer’s rhythmic lead into mirror-image, quickly stated phrases. Keeping basic time with his bass drum and high-hat cymbal, Higgins kept an unending string of percussive variations rolling across his snare and tom-toms. His solos began with simple rhythmic touchstones that developed into masterfully detailed statements.

Swedish pianist Stenson added to the exotic sound with sitar-like chords and eerie, swirling clusters. When Lloyd moved into blues-based material, Stenson responded with stride and off-note accents. His solos built on questioning phrases--in the style of onetime Lloyd sideman Keith Jarret--and long, impressionistic resolutions that contained hints of Debussy.

At one point, a particularly contemplative section dissolved into a sprightly Caribbean-flavored rhythm that Lloyd decorated with light, shuffling figures. Only someone as broad-minded as he could end a mediation with a little dance.