An eclectic ensemble centered around saxophonist
Charles Lloyd and guitarist
Bill Frisell,
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels play an expansive brand of jazz that draws upon the members' love of modal post-bop, country, surf rock, and more. Emerging in 2016, the group issued its debut album,
I Long to See You, on Blue Note.
Formed in 2015,
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels initially grew out of a live appearance
Lloyd made at UCLA's Royce Hall in 2013 in which he was joined on-stage by guitarist
Frisell. After signing with Blue Note and issuing 2015's
Wild Man Dance, the saxophonist had planned on releasing the recording of his Royce Hall concert as his follow-up. However, producer and wife
Dorothy Darr and producer
Don Was instead convinced him to work on a wholly new album with
Frisell. Joining them were steel guitarist
Greg Leisz and longtime
Lloyd associates bassist
Reuben Rogers and drummer
Eric Harland. The group, dubbed
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels, debuted in 2016 with the full-length
I Long to See You. Included on the album were guest appearances by
Norah Jones and
Willie Nelson.
Following a tour with
the Marvels,
Lloyd returned to his work with his
New Quartet with
Rogers,
Harland, and pianist
Jason Moran. In 2018, he was back with
the Marvels for Vanished Gardens, a collaboration with Americana singer/songwriter
Lucinda Williams. Featured on the album were reworked versions of four of
Williams' songs, as well as a cover of
Jimi Hendrix's "Angel." ~ Matt Collar