Jazz Spiritualities: ‘Naissance’ with John Law and Jon Lloyd
(Jazz at St Giles' in partnership with Regent's Park College)
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Tickets and Poster
Lecture Series accompanying the concert
'The Natural Noise of Good' is a set of lectures and conversations presented by Regent's Park College exploring the ways in which jazz as a musical form has both inspired, and been inspired. The concert is public and can be booked and enjoyed separately from the lecture series. There will be the option to attend the lecture series as well if you wish to do so.
The Concert
Jazz at St Giles' is proud to be able to make available to our many supporters this concert, created to complement the lecture series at Regent's Park College, which explores the ways in which jazz as a musical form has both inspired, and been inspired by, religious practice.
Naissance
Jon Lloyd writes: "John Law and I have formed “Naissance”, a piano and saxophone duo in which we have wide-ranging musical conversations within the arena of European contemporary music; referring to world music and classical minimalism as much as to jazz."
"Both John and I write pieces for this duo, and the improvisations on each other's compositions are very open, fresh and hugely interactive. We both feel that this music is ground-breaking and very special for us."
Is it jazz? A bit.
Is it classical? Yes quite a bit.
Can I hear the blues in there somewhere? Yes you can! But more as a sort of European folk music scale version of it.
Ah, is there folk music in there somewhere? Yes! That too!
Alongside piano and saxophones (soprano/tenor), we use some occasional electronic samples plus midi keyboard, with pad sounds and subtle piano effects
A subtly intimate collection of gentle, ambient ballads and glittering, distantly Chick Corea reminiscent dances, with Law's coaxing harmonies sensitively framing Lloyd's warm tones. John Fordham, Guardian, August 2024
Jon Lloyd
Jon has been part of the UK jazz and free music scene for several decades, recording albums on HatOlogy, Leo, FMR, 33 and Ubuntu with musicians including Paul Rogers, Mark Sanders, John Law, Phil Wachsmann, Marcio Mattos, Stan Adler, Paul Clarvis, Tom Farmer and Asaf Sirkis. He has now turned his attention to European contemporary jazz; using classical and non-western music influences as well as jazz sources to write vibrant, melodic and emotionally direct new jazz compositions. Jon has been part of the UK jazz and free music scene for several decades, recording albums on HatOlogy, Leo, FMR, 33 and Ubuntu with musicians including Paul Rogers, Mark Sanders, John Law, Phil Wachsmann, Marcio Mattos, Stan Adler, Paul Clarvis, Tom Farmer and Asaf Sirkis. He has now turned his attention to European contemporary jazz; using classical and non-western music influences as well as jazz sources to write vibrant, melodic and emotionally direct new jazz compositions.
His tunes are steeped in the ECM aesthetic, and he and long-time collaborator John Law on piano make it sound like the only music you ever want to hear. Jon Turney, London Jazz News, 2023
John Law
Prize-winning classical prodigy on piano, turned away from classical piano studies to pursue jazz and improvised music when he was 23 and has been involved in, and acclaimed for, a wide variety of contemporary jazz and classical projects: from solo piano concerts and albums, through trio and quartet tours and recordings, right through to large scale works for his semi-classical ensemble Cornucopia.
He has played at over fifty festivals worldwide including North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam), Delhi International Jazz Festival and London Jazz Festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and in clubs and concert halls all over the UK, mainland Europe, North America and beyond, working with musicians as diverse as Gwilym Simcock, Andy Sheppard, Jason Rebello, Tim Garland and Evan Parker. He has recorded over forty albums. John’s main projects currently are his acclaimed quartet Congregation, featuring Mercury Prize nominee James Mainwaring and playing John’s original music, bringing together acoustic and electronic music, his all-acoustic quartet Re-Creations, featuring Parliamentary Jazz Award winner Sam Crockatt, playing versions of tunes from jazz/pop/classical and Renaissance, an ambient, electronic keyboards project with saxophonist Jon Lloyd and visual artist Patrick Dunn, playing improvised music over samples created out of sacred vocal music from the 15th and 16th centuries.
One of the UK’s most imaginative and versatile jazz pianists. International Piano Magazine 2014
An under-recognised giant of British modern jazz/new music piano. Downtown Music Gallery New York 2006