Mark Sullivan for ALL ABOUT JAZZ- “At age 80 legendary saxophonist/composer Charles Lloyd shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to his New Quartet—most recently documented on Passin‘ Thru (Blue Note Records, 2017)—he has collaborated with the Greek singer Maria Farantouri on Athens Concert (ECM, 2011); played duets with Quartet pianist Jason Moran on Hagar’s Song (ECM, 2013); and produced a long-form suite commissioned by the Jazztopad Festival in Wroclaw, Poland, documented on Wild Man Dance (Blue Note Records, 2015).
Vanished Gardens marks the second recording of his guitar-oriented band The Marvels, following I Long to See You (Blue Note Records, 2016). The debut album employed a lot of traditional American songs (and modern “folk” tunes in the same tradition). This time the Americana aspect of the project is reinforced by the prominent contributions of singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams, who is featured on half of the ten tracks. Williams may not seem like an obvious choice, but she and Lloyd found a deep Southern connection; this collaboration was preceded by mutual live guest appearances (as well as performances by guitarist Bill Frisell and pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz on Williams’ recordings)…
This collaboration has all the hallmarks of a star-crossed event. Williams’ singing and songwriting provide a focus for the entire album, inspiring the band and setting the tone for the instrumental tracks. Vanished Gardens should be a revelation to fans of both Charles Lloyd and Lucinda Williams.”
Read the full review on All About Jazz