Charles Lloyd

American musician, a jazz flutist and saxophonist, the leader of the popular jazz group, the "Charles Lloyd Quartet" during the late ‘60s. In the midst of the Cold War, they became the first American jazz group to perform in the Soviet Union at the invitation of the Soviet people. Lloyd’s most famous composition is "Forest Flower" which went Gold and sold over one million copies worldwide.

Raised in the American south, Lloyd began playing the saxophone when he was quite young. As a teenager, he played with various bands around Memphis and provided backup for such legendary musicians as B. B. King. In 1956, he moved to Los Angeles where he attended the University of Southern California. After graduating with his Masters Degree in music, he played with local groups before moving to New York and joining Chico Hamilton’s band. His debut recordings were made in 1964-65 for CBS Records and included "Discovery" and "Of Course, Of Course."

In mid-1965, he formed his jazz group with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette, and they were the hit of the 1966 Monterey Jazz Festival. Over the next few years, the group recorded, toured and gained in popularity. Lloyd was honored as "Best New Jazz Artist" in 1965 and "Jazz Artist of the Year" in 1967, but by 1969, he pulled away from the music world. He moved to Big Sur where he became a teacher of transcendental meditation, and although he released a few records during the 1970s, they were spiritual and almost "new age" in tone.

Pianist Michel Petrucciani contacted Lloyd during the early 1980s and convinced him to return to music. By the late 1980s, he had a new group and was regularly recording for ECM. He released several albums during the 1990s including "Notes from Big Sur," 1992. In June of that same year, he performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in a tribute to John Coltrane, and his performance was called the "highlight" of the 1992 JVC Jazz Festival.