Although it may seem random, there were preexisting connections that led to Lucinda Williams contributing vocals to the second album by the jazz saxophonist/flute master Charles Lloyd and his Americana-centric group The Marvels. They met about two years ago through the group’s guitarists, Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz, who’d already worked with Williams, and did some mutual sitting in that quickly led to the realization that Lloyd and Williams wanted to pursue the collaboration more fully. It’s a good fit for both. With bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland filling out the lineup, Lloyd and the group transcend the traditional accompanist role and bring added depth and direction to the five tunes she sings. Among those is “Dust,” which Williams adapted from a poem written by her late father, Miller Williams. She recorded it previously (with Frisell and Leisz) for her 2016 album The Ghosts of Highway 20 but here, Lloyd’s calming presence brings a more soulful, less hardened touch to the tribute. “Angel,” the Jimi Hendrix staple, is already sinfully delicious during the Lloyd-Frisell intro; Williams’ vocals take it to an earthy place that she and fellow Southerner Lloyd understand innately. Half of the album does not feature Williams, and those five tracks are equally sublime: The title track heads to an outside zone quickly, then gives each player all the space he needs to push even further. But “Monk’s Mood,” which is simply Lloyd and Frisell in conversation sans the others, is just as effective. Just how great would a duet set from those two be?