Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, ‘I Long to See You’

Fans of last year’s widely acclaimed Wild Man Dance album may be surprised by the pop and rock directions Charles Lloyd explores on this new record, but those who know him from his frequent appearances at the Lobero Theatre will immediately get what’s happening here. Track five, the Lloyd composition “Sombrero Sam,” was recorded live at the Lobero last April, and the rest of the tracks were laid down at Santa Barbara Sound Design that same week. The music, which features gorgeous electric guitar interplay between Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz, runs the gamut from Bob Dylan (“Masters of War”) to Billy Preston (“You Are So Beautiful”), the latter capped with a delicious vocal by none other than Norah Jones. This music defies categorization even as it defines what could quite truthfully be described as a “Santa Barbara sound.”