Souffles is Naïssam Jalal's tenth album: a soulful series of duets with iconic jazz wind players, blending breath, emotion, and pure musical intimacy.
Naïssam Jalal's tenth album Souffles ("Breaths") follows the critical success of Healing Rituals, which garnered acclaim across the UK and beyond, earning spots in The Guardian and Songlines and airplay on Jazz FM and 6Music. Her singular style has led her to over 50 international performances and earned her major distinctions, including Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (2023) and "Best Flutist of the Year" (Jazz Magazine/Jazz News, 2021, 2023, and 2024).
With Souffles, Jalal embarks on an extraordinary sonic journey. This bold new project brings her into intimate duet with eight masterful wind instrumentalists: Archie Shepp, Yom, Sylvain Rifflet, Thomas de Pourquery, Louis Sclavis, Émile Parisien, Robinson Khoury, and Irving Acao. Each track explores not only musical technique but the profound symbolism of breath -- a shared and deeply personal element of expression.
The album opens with a soaring piece featuring de Pourquery, followed by the mystical delicacy of Jalal's exchange with Yom. Rhythmic interplay defines her duo with Rifflet, while her sculpted composition for Sclavis is grounded and resonant. Other highlights include a spirited, precise dialogue with Parisien and a shiver-inducing, textured moment shared with jazz icon Archie Shepp on "Souffle #1".
Jalal poses profound questions: How do we use something as intimate as breath to create beauty? What does this vulnerability reveal about our relationship with ourselves, our instruments, and our listeners? Souffles invites us to witness and share in a deeply human, generous, and poetic act of creation -- sound breathed into life.
Her 2023 album Healing Rituals was very well received by
Gilles Peterson and John Fordham. With 5 stars reviews in both The Guardian and Songlines and airplay on
Jazz FM and 6Music, the album made a huge impact that brought Naïssam recognition in the UK.. In 2024, Naïssam Jalal was named the best flutist of the year by Jazz Magazine and Jazz News for the third time.
Track Listing
Souffle #5 Souffle #3 Souffle #4 Souffle #7 Souffle #6 Souffle #8 Souffle #9 Souffle #1
