Jon Lloyd Quartet - Anima (2026) [Hi-Res]

The Jon Lloyd Quartet is Jon on tenor and soprano saxophones, John Law on piano, Nick Pini on double bass and Alex Goodyear on drums.

Anima is their second album and is an album that follows the approach adopted in their previous album Earth Works on the Ubuntu label.

Jon Lloyd describes the approach on the album as having a European aesthetic with something of the sound favoured by the ECM label. He quotes Tord Gustavsen as a fan, and the music does have an affinity with that of the Tord Gustavsen Quartet in its focus on clear attractive themes and very close interaction between the four members of the quartet..

The album has 11 tracks, all of similar length between 5 and 7 minutes apart from the final track at 10.49 minutes. The overall sonic territory is similar throughout, so it makes sense to think of the album as a continuous suite. The music does nonetheless encompass a lot of variety; the mood varies between the opening track, Build A Fire and also the title track, which have a gentle lyricism, to the more upbeat tracks, Southern Cross and Towards Tomorrow. Then there is Priya, a minimalist composition developed initially by Goodyear on the drums before moving into intimate interaction between Lloyd and Law, and Sheltering Sky which has an Eastern feel with Lloyd on soprano saxophone.

(If)Only If begins with a bass solo after which LLoyd builds an attractive repetitive melody around which Law builds a nicely logical solo. The album reaches a thoughtful and reflective conclusion in Winter Light which features more individual solos from Law and then LLoyd.

The key to the quartet’s music is the focus on the compositions and the maintenance of the mood of the composition in the solos. It also features beautifully poised interaction between Lloyd and Law over very supportive unobtrusive rhythmic support from Pini and Goodyear. The quartet with its strong commitment to a particular aesthetic makes it a unique group and the Anima album stands out for its commitment to a gentle lyrical approach to the music