The Lloyd McNeill Quartet - Asha. 1969 USA-Washington D.C.

Lloyd McNeill is one of those creative geniuses that only come along once in a blue moon. He's a poet, painter, and of course a master musician, primarily on the flute. He ran with the intellectual 1960s crowd at the vanguard of the Civil Rights Movement, spent a few years in Paris, and those experiences shaped him immensely.

Asha (meaning Hope in the Hindi language) is McNeill's debut solo album and is at once intense, yet beautiful. This is far removed from your ordinary jazz flute album where one solos painfully over a few chords. There's melodies throughout, often times sublime. The rest of the band is also quite accomplished, and there's some beautiful piano to behold as well. This is not a radical album by any means, very much in line with the late 60s jazz movement. It's just exceptionally well done. Lloyd McNeill is an extraordinary individual - and all his passion comes through on this recording. Essential.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Asha. Single sleeve. Acquired online (2003).

CD: 2010 Universal Sound (UK). Comes in an oversized plastic case, similar to what houses a DVD, but smaller. The booklet is loaded with biographical details of Mr. McNeill and the recording at hand. The sound quality is awesome as well.

2003; 2010; 2/1/19 (new entry)