A Paradise In The Hold – Yazz Ahmed

A Paradise In The Hold is the fourth studio album by British-Bahraini trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer Yazz Ahmed, released by Night Time Stories in 2025.

The album deepens the relationship between contemporary jazz and Bahrain’s musical heritage through compositions inspired by pearl-diving songs, traditional wedding songs, folklore, mythology, and Ahmed’s personal experiences. Part of its material originated in the suite Alhaan Al Siduri, initially developed following a research trip to Bahrain in 2014.

The album also expands Ahmed’s musical language through Arabic and English vocals, field recordings, sound design, and percussion. Its ensemble includes Martin France, Corrina Silvester, George Crowley, Ralph Wyld, Naadia Sheriff, Dudley Phillips, and Dave Manington, alongside vocalists Natacha Atlas, Brigitte Beraha, Randolph Matthews, and Alba Nacinovich.

The result is one of the most expansive works in her catalogue: a collective composition in which Bahraini tradition, improvisation, electronics, and contemporary writing become part of a single musical language.