Jasmine Myra’s third album Where Light Settles captures live ensemble jazz on vinyl with cinematic strings and h…

British saxophonist and composer Jasmine Myra unveils her third album, Where Light Settles, a compelling record that deepens her engagement with spiritual jazz through a live ensemble setting. Captured in a single room at The Nave studios in Leeds, the album features a 14-piece group that brings a warm, organic energy to Myra’s intricate compositions. This release stands out not only as a testament to her maturation as an artist but also as a milestone in her growing discography, emphasizing a rich instrumental narrative that balances intimacy and collective interplay. Available on vinyl, CD, and digital platforms, the album offers listeners a tactile and immersive experience well-suited for those attentive to nuanced production and ensemble dynamics within the broader jazz landscape.

Where Light Settles arrives as a reflective work exploring themes of duality, healing, and hope, articulated through a carefully curated selection of nine tracks. Myra assumes a hands-on role in production for the first time on this album, extending her creative vision by incorporating string arrangements that complement her signature saxophone voice. Her compositions weave slow-unfolding melodies reminiscent of contemporaries such as Matthew Halsall and the lush atmospheric textures akin to those found in the works of Kenny Wheeler. At points, the music touches on folk influences and cinematic soundscapes, providing a diversity in tone and pacing that highlights Myra’s compositional versatility and emotional depth.

The recording approach—capturing the ensemble live—creates an authentic sense of immediacy and shared musical dialogue, resonating with listeners who value the spontaneity and organic feel often lost in multi-track studio productions. Tracks like “Reflections” evoke natural imagery and contemplative moods while pieces such as “Fragments” recall Myra’s earlier forays into hip hop-tinged grooves, underscoring her ability to recontextualize diverse musical idioms within a jazz framework. This album’s sound palette, enriched by harp, piano, and woodwinds, may interest admirers of artists who blend jazz with experimental and folk elements, including Arooj Aftab or modern ensembles exploring the intersections of jazz and ambient music.

Myra’s saxophone work, while central, shares space with dynamic contributions from notable collaborators, such as clarinetist Arran Kent and saxophonist Matt Carmichael, whose presence adds texture and reinforces the album’s communal ethos. The deliberate pacing and poetic inspirations—drawing on literary sources to frame compositions—invite engagement beyond mere listening, positioning the record within a lineage of jazz albums where storytelling and atmosphere hold equal weight to technical prowess. The title track, a slow-building piece spotlighting Myra’s own soloing, encapsulates the album’s balance between collective expression and individual artistry, closing the record on a note of uplifting serenity.

For collectors and enthusiasts of contemporary jazz released on vinyl, Where Light Settles offers a substantial and immersive listening experience. It reflects a broader trend among independent labels and artists who prioritize authentic ensemble recordings and narrative-rich compositions over commercial polish. Those familiar with the British jazz scene and its recent innovations may find this album aligns with the evolving aesthetics championed by artists such as Nubya Garcia and Ezra Collective, while retaining Myra’s unique voice and vision. As a live-recorded ensemble album, it enriches the growing catalog of releases where intimacy and musicianship sit at the forefront of modern jazz production.

This record firmly establishes Jasmine Myra as a distinctive voice in the current jazz milieu, her work marked by a delicate balance of tradition and exploration. Where Light Settles not only charts new artistic ground for the saxophonist but also contributes meaningfully to conversations surrounding contemporary approaches to jazz composition, ensemble interplay, and thematic storytelling. It is a notable addition for anyone tracking the evolution of independent jazz artists committed to expanding the genre’s expressive possibilities in 2026 and beyond.