Recording of the Week, Jasmine Myra - Rising

The past couple of years have been a period of quick succession for Jasmine Myra. Hailing from Leeds, the multi-instrumentalist (alto saxophone and flute, if you’re wondering) quickly gained steam as a performer and bandleader after she graduated from her hometown’s multidisciplinary conservatoire in 2018. Perhaps the most keenly watched artist on the current Gondwana Records roster after label-founder Matthew Halsall (and even managing to pinch a few of his regular bandmates in the process), she soon began drawing the attention of international fans and tastemakers alike. It wasn’t long before she would break onto the European scene and perform at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie as part of the label’s 15th anniversary, shortly after her debut album Horizons was released in 2022.

In an interview that took place before her performance at Love Supreme last year, she shared with us the importance of her work’s euphoric potential, all the while retaining a level of complexity and depth. Although she may have delighted audiences across the globe on the festival circuit, Jasmine assured me that her music isn’t written simply in order to “bop about to”, preferring instead to touch listeners' hearts, minds and souls by reaching out creatively in the hope of connecting with them on a more conceptual level. In essence, she champions herself on bringing positive vibes, interspersed with the bittersweet layers of pain overcome.

When Presto Music originally reviewed Horizons, we picked up on this thoughtful musician’s ability to convey her broad influences in the studio through a series of “deep arrangements, catchy yet elegant melodies and a sophisticated approach befitting an artist twice her age.” Where Jasmine's debut sought to introduce her imaginative compositional approach and personal style, its follow-up, Rising, solidly depicts her in the surefooted role of composer, bandleader and soloist. 

A deep and slow introduction in the minor key sets us off in gentle motion, as brooding as it is auspicious like something akin to folk music from the Far East. On this return voyage, a familiar, introspective voice acts as our guide. I have always enjoyed Myra’s clear-cut woodwind mannerisms, even if the alto saxophone carries the unfair reputation of being rather simplistic – it is often landed on younger players wishing to get to know the jazz craft better, with the perilous nature of its squeaky beginnings serving as well-trodden ground for many. But in Myra’s hands, the instrument instead becomes a portal; a soothing gateway into a world of mindful bliss. Take for instance her first solo on the opening title track, which reaches for the heavens as it blends pentatonic sensibilities with dapples of modality. The reliable riffs from Horizons are still there, helping to balance out the unflustered feel of her music with a memorable punchiness that has the ability to cut to the soul, but on the whole the writing feels more flexible, more courageous, more Jasmine. 

The album’s forward trajectory is certainly impressive, whether that momentum is conveyed through its tactile rhythms and textures or implied more subtly via the ensemble’s overall approach to structure and form. With all the careful consideration of a dab hand arranger, Myra knows just how long to allow a particular section or solo to mellow before moving onto the next, keeping the proceedings interesting without ever letting them grow stale. The record hardly risks outstaying its welcome and, for that reason, neither does the listener. We’re well at home within this comforting atmosphere, invited to imagine ourselves sitting cross-legged on the floor in the midst of one of the band’s aesthetically pleasing in-the-round performances.

With only her second album and a feeling of universal support already on her side, it'll be interesting to see how this new release affects the aspirations of this accomplished performer. It’s true that there’s safety in numbers, and the core ensemble here reflect their leader's meditative qualities, whether it's the glistening harp of Alice Roberts or the succinctly compact drumming of George Hall – so self-regulated and carefree, it almost feels like we’re on cruise control – that teases along the margins of everything from bossa to trip-hop – possibly taking inspiration from electronic Danish labelmates, Svaneborg Kardyb? In all, the UK jazz scene continues to flourish with the presence of its most recent asset, whose latest artistic statement boldly recapitulates what she set out to do from the beginning in a highly admirable fashion.