Yazz Ahmed - A Paradise In The Hold [2LP virgin pearl-coloured vinyl]

Format: 2 x LP
Catalogue No.: ALNLP77W
Barcode: 5060391095028
Release Date: 02 May 2025
Genre: Jazz

limited edition 2LP in gatefold sleeve. Pressed on 180 gram virgin pearl-coloured vinyl. Includes 16-page 12” booklet signed by the artist.

TRACKLIST:
1. She Stands On The Shore
2. A Paradise In The Hold
3. Mermaids' Tears
4. Her Light
5. Al Naddaha
6. Dancing Barefoot
7. Into The Night
8. Though My Eyes Go To Sleep, My Heart Does Not Forget You
9. To The Lonely Sea
10. Waiting For The Dawn

British-Bahraini trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed today announces her much-anticipated fourth studio album, A Paradise In The Hold, set for release on 28 February via her new label Night Time Stories. 

A Paradise In The Hold is an album of yearning. It’s about Yazz’s dual heritage, drawing on traditional music and folklore as well as her own personal experience as a British-Bahraini woman. A sweeping epic where tradition meets innovation, she melds ancient rhythms with contemporary musicianship. The record is a tribute to the sorrowful songs of Bahrain’s pearl divers, the strength of Arab women, and the celebratory rhythms of women's traditional drumming circles, while also telling the story of Yazz’s own decade-long voyage of self-discovery.

On the album, Yazz says: “A thread in my work has been searching for, establishing, and now finally embracing and celebrating my cultural identity. I want to change the narrative about Arab women. So often, they are misrepresented as oppressed, but in Bahrain, there are many creative women forging new paths. I hope this album shines a light on that vibrancy and strength.”

The album also marks Yazz’s first foray into writing lyrics, in both English and Arabic, bringing a new dimension to her expansive sound. The project features an impressive roster of collaborators, including vocalists Natacha Atlas, Brigitte Beraha, and percussionist Corrina Silvester. An Ivor Novello Award-winning composer and one of the most innovative trumpet players of her generation, with A Paradise In The Hold, Yazz Ahmed delivers a groundbreaking fusion of tradition and innovation, creating a contemporary jazz project that is set to make a lasting impact on the genre.