Rising – Jasmine Myra

In Rising, Jasmine Myra doesn’t just follow the path set by her debut; she expands it into a more open, luminous, and emotionally affirmative territory. If Horizons was introspective, this second album moves with a confidence that transforms contemplation into momentum.

Produced by Matthew Halsall, Rising occupies a space where spiritual jazz is redefined through subtlety. Gone is the solemn weight of the genre; in its place is a structural lightness where repetition, layers, and rhythmic movement build a constant sense of elevation.

The music flows between influences ranging from the lyricism of Kenny Wheeler to the electronic sensibility of Bonobo, and the contemporary energy of Shabaka Hutchings, yet it never falls into direct imitation. Myra organizes these elements into compositions that unfold like processes: progressive, organic, and always transforming.

Her alto saxophone defines the album's tone: warm, restrained, and deeply expressive without the need for excess. It doesn’t seek to impose; it seeks to sustain. Around her, the band weaves a fabric where every element appears with precision, broadening the emotional dimension without saturating it.

The album features a steady core of musicians who reinforce its sonic identity:

• Ben Haskins – Guitar
• George Hall – Drums
• Jasper Green – Piano
• Alice Roberts – Harp
• Sam Quintana – Bass

Additionally, a string quartet appears on several tracks, adding an extra dimension to the album's dynamic construction.

Pieces like Knowingness or From Embers reveal this internal logic: structures that open slowly, where string arrangements and rhythmic variations generate a sense of continuous growth. Even in its most intense moments, Rising maintains a clarity that avoids excess and favors resonance.

Rather than a radical shift, this album represents a conscious expansion: music that leaves pure introspection behind to explore something harder to sustain—the possibility of moving forward.