Jon Lloyd: Anima

Jon Lloyd Quartet's 2024 album Earth Songs (Ubuntu) racked up millions of streams. Anima sees the group building on that success with their distinctive blend of European contemporary jazz. Reflective melodies, inventive textures and spontaneity combine into a sound world of shifting moods, beauty and emotional appeal.

The quartet lineup is unchanged from the previous album: Lloyd on tenor and soprano saxophones, alongside long-time collaborator John Law, bassist Nick Pini and drummer Alex Goodyear. All 11 compositions are written by Lloyd and are frequently sparse and reflective, drawing on folk and classical influences, with the group's acute spatial awareness central to conveying their emotional message.

"Build A Fire" opens the album, establishing a relaxed, contemplative mood that gradually evolves into a graceful, lilting saxophone melody. Law weaves his way into the theme before moving into a gently flowing solo. The title track follows, its unadorned spaces between slow saxophone phrases creating an atmospheric setting. Law, one of Europe's finest pianists, opens "Dancing" with a superb cascading solo before Lloyd introduces a new section for an expansive soprano saxophone exploration, making it one of the album's highlights.

The compositional quality is high throughout, with the next three tracks forming the heart of the album. Goodyear sets a pacey rhythm for Pini's expressive bass lines on the lively "Southern Cross." Law's driving piano runs and Goodyear's urgent momentum provide the perfect setting for Lloyd's Middle Eastern-influenced saxophone lines on "Sheltering Sky." Then, on the superbly played "Towards Tomorrow," the quartet's interplay finds the bittersweet core of Lloyd's composition. There's a strong cinematic feel here with a theme that could easily score a film's closing credits, as the hero turns up their collar against the cold and rain, walking home through the night.

Elsewhere, the swaying "(If) Only If" offers glowing solos on bass, piano and sax over its catchy, song-like melody. "Priya" is tense and brooding, while "Altamire" and "Closer" provide spacious, intimate atmospheres. The closing track, "Winter Light," features fluent soloing and multiple shifts as it moves through a series of distinct phases across its 10-minute duration.

Lloyd's saxophone sound is plaintive and compelling throughout, often carrying an eloquent, Nordic quality. Complemented by his exemplary quartet, he takes the compositions through an impressive range of atmospheric, textural, reflective and dynamic moods. Expansive and accessible, Anima is an album of subtle interplay and shimmering beauty.