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Jon Lloyd Quartet: Earth Songs
by Neil Duggan
Saxophonist Jon Lloyd has helped shape the UK jazz scene for several decades. Initially known for his energetic approach to free jazz, his creative ideas have gradually guided both himself and his group toward what he describes as “ECM quartet territory." Though ECM releases encompass a diverse range of musical styles, his description effectively evokes the quartet's sound. Their music features the contemplative soundscapes often associated with the label but also incorporates folk and classical influences, with space and stillness ...
Continue ReadingJon Lloyd / John Law: Naissance
by Mike Jurkovic
It hardly matters whether or not Naissance goes down in musical history as one of the greatest or best-of piano/saxophone duet recordings. Comfortingly ethereal and most assured of itself, Naissance is a beautiful recording with a serenity and sense of open accomplishment all its own. British pianist/composer John Law and tenor/alto saxophonist Jon Lloyd embrace these ten thoughtful Zen moments as the seasoned creators they are. Law is a prize-winning classical prodigy who has sat atop the European ...
Continue ReadingJohn Law's Congregation: Configuration
by Bruce Lindsay
John Law's Congregation is a quartet led by British pianist and composer Law and completed by three musicians from the UK jazz scene--James Mainwaring (Roller Trio), Ashley John Long and Billy Weir--who are part of what Brian Morton's sleeve notes calls the “new generation players." Law has been performing since the 1980s, releasing over 40 albums, some solo, others featuring a host of collaborators including Andy Sheppard, Asaf Sirkis and Tim Garland. Configuration is this quartet's first release ...
Continue ReadingJohn Law: The Re-Creations Trilogy
by Jakob Baekgaard
John Law is one of the most prominent pianists on the British jazz scene and he is also a distinctive composer. So far, he has focused primarily on building a substantial compositional body of work, culminating in his ambitious Art of Sound tetralogy (33 Jazz, 2007-2009), followed by strong records like Three Leaps of the Gazelle (33 Jazz, 2012) and the double-album These Skies In Which We Rust (33extreme, 2015). However, Law's focus on refining his own ...
Continue ReadingJohn Law: Goldberg
by Jakob Baekgaard
J.S. Bach's The Goldberg Variations is one of the most famous works in the literature of the piano and an endless source of inspiration for pianist around the world -and not only classical pianists. Bach's music simply transcends genres and his ability to develop and sculpt variations on a theme remain unsurpassed. It is no coincidence that the legendary saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, himself a master in the art of thematic variation, deeply admired Bach. In the informative ...
Continue ReadingJohn Law / Yuri Goloubev / Asaf Sirkis: Three Leaps of the Gazelle
by Jakob Baekgaard
Making changes in a trio can be risky a thing. If there's a special chemistry in a group, the slightest change in the lineup could spoil the magic of the music. For years, pianist John Law has had an effective formula with his Art of Sound Trio, with drummer Asaf Sirkis and bassist Sam Burgess, but Three Leaps of the Gazelle announces a significant change: Burgess is replaced by bassist Yuri Goloubev, a virtuoso musician and an old acquaintance of ...
Continue ReadingJohn Law, Sam Burgess, and Asaf Sirkis at Norwich Arts Centre, UK
by Bruce Lindsay
John Law, Sam Burgess, and Asaf Sirkis Norwich Arts Centre Norwich, UK November 30, 2009
The piano trio is a well-established jazz line-up, and its popularity is at something of a high on the British scene. The apparent ubiquity of the format makes it difficult to see how there can be room for originality, then along comes the combination of pianist John Law, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Asaf Sirkis and such ...
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