| Which Way Is East | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 30, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | January 2001 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 150:49 | |||
| Label | ECM | |||
| Producer | Charles Lloyd, Dorothy Darr | |||
| Charles Lloyd chronology | ||||
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Which Way Is East is a double-album of duets by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd and percussionist Billy Higgins recorded in January 2001 and released on ECM in March 2004. [1] The album contains the last recordings by Higgins before he died in May 2001.
In his "Jazz Consumer Guide" for The Village Voice , Tom Hull summarized the album as "two old friends converse, contemplate, fart around." [2] In another commentary published on his website, he said of the recording: "Similar types of things have been done elsewhere—Bill Cole and Kali Fasteau are two who regularly work along these lines, but their records feel more like work, this one feels more like play, and its homespun nature puts it over the top." [3]
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars stating, "there is crackling energy, humor, warmth, and a complete commitment to expressing what may indeed be beyond real expression. Not since John Coltrane and Rashied Ali's Interstellar Space —though they sound nothing alike—has a duet recording of such unfettered communication. Highly recommended." [4]
The All About Jazz review by John Kelman stated, "While Higgins' passing, at the relatively young age of sixty-five, was tragic, we should feel fortunate that Lloyd had the foresight to bring him to his home in January 2001, for this series of impromptu, intimate and ultimately revealing duets." [5] Other professional reviews for the same website were also highly favourable with Mark F. Turner stating "the music is a wondrous journey on many levels. Fervently recommended." [6] Mark Corroto stated, "The last recording by Higgins is worth savoring." [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Tom Hull | A− [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [8] |
Charles Lloyd is an American jazz musician. Though he primarily plays tenor saxophone and flute, he has occasionally recorded on other reed instruments, including alto saxophone and the Hungarian tárogató. Lloyd's primary band since 2007 has been a quartet including pianist Jason Moran, acoustic bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland.
Sangam is a live album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in Santa Barbara, California on May 23, 2004 and released on ECM in April 2006. The trio features percussion section Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland.
Jumping the Creek is an album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in January 2004 and released on ECM April the following year. The quartet features rhythm section Geri Allen, Robert Hurst and Eric Harland.
Lift Every Voice is an album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, recorded in February 2002 and released on ECM October that same year. The quintet features rhythm section Geri Allen, John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson & Larry Grenadier (alternately) and Billy Hart. The album represents Lloyd's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Water Is Wide is an album by American jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in December 1999 and released on ECM August the following year. The quintet features rhythm section John Abercrombie, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins, with a guest appearance from bassist Darek Oles. The session, which also produced Hyperion with Higgins (2001), was one of Higgins' last before his death in 2001.
Hyperion with Higgins is an album by American jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in December 1999—concurrently with The Water Is Wide (2000)—and released by ECM in August the following year. The quintet features rhythm section John Abercrombie, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins. The album is a dedication to Higgins, who died in May, three months previously.
Voice in the Night is an album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded in May 1998 and released on ECM March the following year. The quartet features rhythm section John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Billy Higgins.
Canto is an album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, recorded in December 1996 and released on ECM the following year. The quartet features rhythm section Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin and Billy Hart.
The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, and Billy Drummond and Paolo Fresu recorded in Europe in 2007 and released on the Watt/ECM label.
Carla's Christmas Carols is an album of Christmas carols arranged by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with bassist Steve Swallow and the Partyka Brass Quintet, recorded in France in 2008 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2009.
Divine Love is an album by American jazz trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith, recorded in September 1978 and released on ECM the following year. The trio features multi-instrumentalists Dwight Andrews and Bobby Naughton, with guest appearances from trumpeters Lester Bowie and Kenny Wheeler on one track and bassist Charlie Haden on another.
Storyteller is an album by the Marilyn Crispell Trio, featuring rhythm section Mark Helias and Paul Motian, recorded in February 2003 and released on ECM April the following year.
Chants is an album by the Craig Taborn Trio recorded in New York in June 2012 and released on ECM April the following year. The trio features Taborn on piano with rhythm section Thomas Morgan and Gerald Cleaver.
Hagar's Song is an album by saxophonist Charles Lloyd and pianist Jason Moran recorded in April 2012 and released on ECM February the following year.
Rava on the Dance Floor is a live album by Italian jazz trumpeter and composer Enrico Rava with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab, performing songs by Michael Jackson recorded in Italy in 2011 and released on the ECM label.
Mutations is a studio album by American jazz pianist Vijay Iyer recorded in September 2013 and released on ECM the following year. The titular suite features a string quartet consisting violinists Michi Wiancko and Miranda Cuckson, violist Kyle Armbrust, and cellist Kivie Cahn-Lipman.
Tales Out of Time is an album by Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Kent Kessler and Michael Zerang recorded in 2002 and released on the Swiss HatHut label in 2004.
Images is an album by pianist Kenny Barron recorded in New York in 2003 and released on the Sunnyside label.
Small Town is a live album by Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan recorded at the Village Vanguard in March 2016 and released on ECM May the following year—Frisell's first album as leader for the label since 1987's Lookout for Hope. More music from the same recording session was released in 2019 as the follow-up album, Epistrophy.
Hommage à Eberhard Weber is a live tribute album celebrating German double bassist and composer Eberhard Weber's 75th birthday recorded by the German public broadcaster SWR in Stuttgart in 2015 featuring Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, Gary Burton, Scott Colley, Danny Gottlieb, Paul McCandless, with Michael Gibbs and Helge Sunde conducting the SWR Big Band which was released on the ECM label.
