Presented by KNKX. NEA Jazz Master and recipient of France’s Ordre de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, Charles Lloyd stands as one of the last living architects of modern jazz. Nearly 60 years after Forest Flower transformed the landscape of jazz and introduced the music to a new generation of listeners, Lloyd continues to perform and record with astonishing creativity, emotional depth, and spiritual intensity.

His forthcoming Blue Note release, Figure In Blue, pairs Lloyd with longtime collaborator Jason Moran and guitarist Marvin Sewell for a sweeping new double album that moves effortlessly through original compositions, Delta blues, meditative ballads, and tributes to Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Zakir Hussain. The recording is the latest chapter in a remarkable late-career renaissance that has produced some of the most acclaimed work of his legendary career.

Across more than six decades, Lloyd has collaborated with artists including Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Zakir Hussain, and Eric Harland — continually redefining the possibilities of jazz through fearless improvisation and a deeply human musical voice.