Jon Lloyd

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Jon Lloyd: Anima

by Neil Duggan
September 24, 2026

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 ...

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Jon Lloyd Quartet: Earth Songs

by Neil Duggan
March 16, 2025

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 ...

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Jon Lloyd / John Law: Naissance

by Mike Jurkovic
February 12, 2025

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 ...

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Jon Lloyd: Four and Five

by Robert Spencer
August 1, 1999

Alto and soprano saxophonist Jon Lloyd explains about this release that “the compositions for this group were designed to be played with less of a pulse-driven approach than my earlier work with the Jon Lloyd Quartet - the ebb and flow of the music takes place organically according to the direction each performer wishes to take."

Paul Clarvis is a first-rate percussionist for this kind of music. Most of the tracks on Four and Five vary quite widely in tempo, ...