In 2008, saxophonist Charles Lloyd released a highly regarded live album, Rabe de Nube, with pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland. On September 14, the 73-year-old Lloyd and that same potent quartet will release their first studio effort, Mirror, on the ECM label.

Mirror features beautiful, transformed versions of favorites including both Lloyd originals and tunes the saxophonist has made his own over the years. There is a pair of Thelonious Monk tunes, “Ruby, My Dear” and “Monk’s Mood,” as well as hymns and traditionals including “Go Down Moses,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “The Water is Wide.” Lloyd covers Brian Wilson’s “Caroline, No” (the saxophonist guested on several Beach Boys albums in the ’70s) and plays a lovely version of the standard “I Fall In Love Too Easily.” Lloyd originals include “Desolation Sound,” “Mirror,” “Tagi” (which includes a Bhagavad Gita-inspired spoken-word meditation by Lloyd) and “Being and Becoming.”

None of Lloyd’s quartet mates had yet been born when the saxman made his breakthrough with “Forest Flower” in 1967. Moran recalls that his father encouraged him to listen to Forest Flower when he was just starting to check out jazz, and the album was part of the soundtrack of his childhood.

“Charles approaches the music with such openness,” Moran said recently. “I like playing with leaders who let you bring what you’ve got to the table, and interpret the music however you’d like. Charles is a great promoter of free-thinking music, and letting it develop on the spot.”

The release of Mirror will coincide with a five-city North American tour. The band will tour again next year. Here are dates presently scheduled:

September 22 and 23, Yoshi’s, Oakland, California
September 24, Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, California
September 25, Nate Holden Center for the Performing Arts, Los Angeles, California
September 30, The Dakota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
October 2, Quebec City Jazz Festival, Quebec City, Canada

January 19, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
January 21 and 22, The Regattabar, Boston, Massachusetts
January 23, The Flynn Center, Burlington, Vermont
January 26, U Mass, Amherst, Massachusetts
January 28, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
January 29, Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, New York, New York
January 30, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York

Photo: left to right: Reuben Rogers, Charles Lloyd, Jason Moran, Eric Harland
Photo credit: D. Darr