This must have been one hell of a night. How rarely does the atmosphere at a concert come over as powerfully as this? It just bristles with electricity. Maria Farantouri – long associated with the music of composer Mikis Theodorakis – has one of those voices that would strike fear in the hearts of oppressors everywhere and summon hope in those of the oppressed. The way in which she and her two musicians combine with Lloyd and what is arguably his finest group astonishes. Lloyd himself is at his most elegiac on this record but Jason Moran rises just as spectacularly to the occasion, while Rogers and Harland play with an unrivalled sensitivity. There are too many wonderful moments to count here – a gorgeous ‘Requiem’ with a lyric in Greek by Agathi Dimitrouka, three lovely tunes by Theodorakis (‘Cactus’ and ‘Gardens of Paradise’) plus two beautiful suites arranged by pianist Farazis of traditional songs and I haven’t even scratched the surface.

Jazzwise talks to Charles Lloyd about his album

You and Maria come from very different musical backgrounds. What persuaded you that this combination could work?

We met in Santa Barbara in 2002. Even before I heard her sing, I sensed that she is the real deal. And after I heard her, the seed of desire to work with her had already sprouted in my heart. When I was invited back to Athens in 2003, I asked her to join me during the concert to sing two songs with me. Over the following years, whenever we were in proximity, we spent time together in a remote village by the sea. We poured over my repertoire and late at night she would sing songs to me spanning from ancient Byzantine to 21st century contemporary songs. We finally decided it was time to present the collaboration in a serious way. George Loukos at the Hellenic Festival was intrigued with the idea and put us on his 2010 programme.

This is the most dramatic record you have made in your career. What was the atmosphere like on stage?

Not to be believed. Standing on the same stage that Callas had sung on, where Nureyev danced, where von Karajan conducted, and where things unknown to me going all the way back to 160 AD were spoken, danced and sung. It was daunting and exhilarating. Very powerful.

It feels as if you wanted to make a statement with this album, say something beyond the music itself.

It started as a bridge between cultures and different styles of music – but became more than that. This tiny country that has given so much to the world in any area of endeavour you can think of and many of their treasures were stripped and taken to far off lands. Greece should receive royalties on all that has come from there. If there is a message it is of love, perseverance, respect, integrity, honesty, union of spirit.

How did you get to grips with the musical tradition of Maria and her musicians?

We had been preparing for 10 years – but as the concert grew closer she asked Takis Farazis to make arrangements for the Greek songs, thus creating the three suites. My quartet and I rehearsed with Maria, Takis and Socrates Sinopoulos for an intense week before the actual concert. It was important to understand the transition points.

What similarities are there between the jazz you play and Maria’s music with its Greek traditional roots?

Music is music. The traditional songs are anchored in various rhythms and melodies, and when we got those basics under our belts we could then improvise and dance on top of the structure.