Polyhymnia (album)
| Polyhymnia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 October 2019 | |||
| Recorded | August 2016–2019[1] | |||
| Studio | Session Corner (Luton) Valby Station (Copenhagen) Virkeligheden Studio (Copenhagen) Snap Studios (London) Tatami Studios | |||
| Genre | Jazz[2] | |||
| Length | 56:59 | |||
| Label | Ropeadope | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Yazz Ahmed chronology | ||||
| ||||
Polyhymnia is the third studio album by British-Bahraini musician Yazz Ahmed. It was released on 11 October 2019 through Ropeadope Records.
Described by Ahmed as a "celebration of female courage, determination and creativity", Polyhymnia is a concept album whose six tracks are all dedicated to a particular female activist or collective.[3] The album's title refers to Polyhymnia, the ancient Greek Muse of music.[4]
Background[edit]
The material on Polyhymnia started life in 2015 as an extended piece commissioned by jazz education and artist development organization Tomorrow's Warriors.[4][5] Each movement of this work was meant to correspond to an important figure in women's history.[4] The finished album features an "evolved and expanded" version of the original work, incorporating numerous new elements and additional musicians.[4]
Reception[edit]
Polyhymnia received positive reviews from critics. DownBeat awarded the album four stars out of five, stating the album "further establishes [Ahmed] as one of the more creative new voices in jazz" after the critical success of her previous album, La Saboteuse (2017).[3] Jazzwise included the album in their list of the best jazz albums of 2019, describing its music as "rich, sonorous, big, melodic, put[ting] a kick in your heels and a smile on your face".[5]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks composed and arranged by Yazz Ahmed.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lahan al-Mansour" | 9:57 |
| 2. | "Ruby Bridges" | 9:42 |
| 3. | "One Girl Among Many" | 9:32 |
| 4. | "2857" | 8:30 |
| 5. | "Deeds Not Words" | 8:52 |
| 6. | "Barbara" | 10:24 |
| Total length: | 56:59 | |
Note: "One Girl Among Many" features extracts from the 2013 United Nations speech by Malala Yousafzai.
References[edit]
- ^ Edwards, Tina (11 October 2019). Polyhymnia (liner notes).
- ^ May, Chris (15 December 2019). "Yazz Ahmed: Polyhymnia". All About Jazz. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ a b de Barros, Paul (December 2019). "Yazz Ahmed – Polyhymnia". Downbeat. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Ahmed, Yazz. "Polyhymnia". Yazz Ahmed. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ a b Flynn, Mike (21 November 2019). "Top 20 Jazz Albums of 2019". Jazzwise. Retrieved 4 August 2023.