I had not heard of Charles Lloyd (saxophonist) until picked up this album with a collection I purchased about two months ago. When I saw multiple reviewers awarded the album 5/5 stars I had to listen. Even at my first listen, I was both mesmerized and stunned at the musicianship and quality of the compositions throughout the album. Although I have a used copy (SD 1473), it is petty clean and as a live recording (Monterey Jazz Festival, 1966) the production and pressing are still excellent.
The Charles Lloyd quartet on this album include a very young Keith Jarrett (piano), Cecil McBee (bass), and Jack Dejohnette (drums). Side one of Forest Flower is 2 songs: “Forest Flower – Sunrise”, and “Forest Flower – Sunset”. Both are excellent and more-or-less merged into a single composition. Side 2 starts with “Sorcery”, written by and featuring Keith Jarrett, and is at another level of Avant Garde jazz. Side 2 finishes with the soothing “Song of Her”, written by Cecil McBee, and the hard bop jazz standard “East of the Sun”.
Excerpt from the album's liner notes:
"In the long and distinguished history of jazz, no other group has accomplished so much audience reaction and critical acclaim in the first year of its existence."
Forest Flower, Charles Lloyd at Monterey an album that should be in every jazz collection. Great jazz albums like this will be on sale from dealers at the next Love the Music Record Show (4/23).
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The next Love the Music Record Show is Sunday 4/23, held bi-monthly, the 4th Sunday of the Month, 10am-3pm, @Rosensteel Hall, 9707 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (2 blocks from the Forest Glen Metro Station, Red Line).
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