In the 1970s, saxophonist Charles Lloyd went off the radar in Big Sur, and delved into transcendental meditation. He was reeled back in from it in the early 1980s by pianist Michel Petrucciani. Lloyd (1938) had already enjoyed an impressive career, first having dabbled with blues, before moving on to jazz and avant-garde circles. He worked with Chico Hamilton and Cannonball Adderley, before starting his own quartet in the mid-1960s. At the 1966 Monterey Jazz Festival, Lloyd stood out for mixing oriental music with modal jazz. That led to performances in major rock venues; he even featured on the Beach Boys' Surf's Up album. For Lloyd, music is a purely mystical event. After his sabbatical, he emerged as an 'elder statesman' of jazz, with a new double album, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (2024), recorded with his Sky Quartet, consisting of pianist Jason Moran, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland.
