This year's Strings of Autumn festival is in full swing and nowhere near its end! Tomorrow, October 31st, Dvořák Hall in Rudolfinum will be filled with the sound of a tenor saxophone. And not just any. Playing it will be the composer, flutist and jazz maestro Charles Lloyd, who's returning to the festival after an eight year break.
His music is known not only for its perfect phrasing, but also its serenity and limitless melodic inventiveness. Simply put, if you managed to purchase tickets in time, you have a lot to look forward to. You're guaranteed to have an unforgettable musical experience.
The 81-year-old American who can boast about having Native American, Mongolian and Irish ancestors first began playing saxophone at the age of nine. Among his teachers were pianist Phineas Newborn Jr., or saxophonist Irvin Reason.
In 1956 he left his home in Memphis to study in Los Angeles, where he made a living playing at clubs in the evenings. In the 60's he was invited to join the band of drummer Chico Hamilton, for whom he began to write a part of his songs. He went solo after leaving the band of saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, in which he'd been for two years.
In the latter half of the 60's he was one of the first jazz musicians who managed to capture a rock audience. He played concerts at rock festivals, played with The Doors, among others, and recorded four albums with The Beach Boys.
Charles Lloyd has received many international musical awards. In 2016 he was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
The artist performed in Prague for the first time in 1967 at the International Jazz Festival. After the velvet revolution he visited the capital two more times, and in 2016 he played in the Old Town Square at the Bohemia Jazz Fest.
He was invited to play at the Strings of Autumn festival for the first time in 2011, when he performed together with pianist Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers on double bass, and Erik Harland on drums. This Thursday in Rudolfinum he'll be accompanied by pianist Gerald Clayton, Marvin Sewell on guitar and Harish Raghavan on double bass. Sitting at the drums will be Eric Harland, much like in 2011.