Let me just start off by saying that THIS is the way to make a documentary on a legendary musician. With over 50 years of thrilling jazz audiences with his incredible sax & flute melodies, Charles Lloyd certainly needs no introduction. From his early days as a member of Chico Hamilton's group, Cannonball Adderley's band, or his own quartet with Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, and Cecil McBee, all the way to his recent formation alongside piano virtuoso Jason Moran, Lloyd has been delivering groundbreaking music every step of the way. Arrows Into Infinity is a film put together over an eight year period by his wife Dorothy Darr & Jeffrey Morse, and it takes a look at Lloyd's career all the way from the humble beginnings to the present, littered with personal contributions from the man himself, many of his musical associates over the years (including Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Robbie Robertson, Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Ornette Coleman, Don Was, and many others), as well as vintage & more recent live footage. The live clips, especially the footage from the '60s & '70s, is worth the price of admission alone, and is interspersed so perfectly here, making the whole story flow even better. Just listening to all of Lloyd's insight will be inspiring to many, and you can just feel the sense of peace & happiness both he and Dorothy feel about their gorgeous life together in lovely Big Sur, a somewhat remote area along the coast of Califonia near the Lucia Mountains.
All of these elements is what makes this film so endearing & enjoyable. Charles Lloyd comes across as someone you really want to sit down and spend some time with, his words of wisdom, his telling of his life story, just comes across so genuine and sincere that he commands your immediate attention and never lets go. I'd love to just sit down with the man and listen to him talk for hours. Toss in all the wonderful music snippets and honest anecdotes from his friends and fellow musicians, and you have quite simply a lovely documentary looking at the life of one of the true treasures of jazz. In the consistent ECM tradition, the movie comes housed in a great little digipack case with a nice booklet filled with photos and info. Jazz fans will no doubt want to make sure they don't miss this one.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
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