Search - Chico Hamilton :: Man From Two Worlds

This is my second favorite jazz CD of all time -

Will Flannery | Berkeley, CA | 12/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Number 1 is "Blue Train". "Blue Train" is my favorite album because it contains the greatest tenor sax solo ever recorded, Trane on the title cut. "Man From Two Worlds" contains the second greatest saxophone solo ever recorded, Charles Lloyd on "Forest Flower".Somehow, Lloyd, one of the most original players on the jazz scene, has an undeserved reputation as being a Coltrane clone. Lloyd not only has a totally original and easily identifiable concept on the sax, he also creates a totally unique soundscape in which to play his solos. This CD is a good example, it is pianoless, and features Gabor Szabo on guitar. All the compositions are by Lloyd.Everything about the CD is outstanding. The tunes are great. "Forest Flower", on a different recording, made Lloyd famous in the sixties. "Blues Medley" is the most 'radio ready' jazz tune I've ever heard, though I've never heard it on the radio! The sonority that Lloyd and Szabo achieve is unmatched by any other band, it is sophisticated but light. The band's swing is exceptional due to Hamilton's drumming, which seems to dance on every cut.Everything worked on this CD. Great musicians playing at the limit. Lloyd's sax on "Forest Flower" is phenomenal, a maelstrom of notes that lay out a fantastic melody.This CD was recorded in sixties. After a long absence from playing, Lloyd returned (in the late eighties?) and is recording on ECM. He hasn't lost it."