At first sight, jazz legend <person>Charles Lloyd</person> and Americana singer-songwriter <person>Lucinda Williams</person> make an odd couple: the former celebrated for his upbeat tenor sax and lyrical flute playing, the latter for her downcast songwriting and racked vocals. The pair share southern roots, however, while two of <person>Lloyd</person>’s eclectic combo – mercurial guitarist <person>Bill Frisell</person> and pedal steel player <person>Greg Leisz</person> – have previously worked with <person>Williams</person>. Last year, <person>Lloyd</person> and <person>Williams</person> delivered a single, a version of <person>Dylan</person>’s Masters of War in a spirit of protest that is maintained here on the instrumental Defiant, and a new song from <person>Williams</person>, We’ve Come Too Far to Turn Around.
The mood is varied, however. <person>Williams</person> reprises three old songs, including 2007’s Unsuffer Me, with <person>Lloyd</person> matching her anguish (and how nice to hear her without guitar squalls), while a version of <person>Hendrix</person>’s Angel caresses the song’s beauty and optimism. <person>Lloyd</person>’s playing, in his 80th year, remains fluid, still pushy on the title track, reflective on Blues for Langston and La Rue, while the Marvels match his invention. Too bad <person>Williams</person> doesn’t sing on the plaintive Ballad of the Sad Young Men. Otherwise, this unexpected collaboration doesn’t miss a trick.