Yazz Ahmed Polyhymnia

Yazz Ahmed’s album ‘Polyhymnia’ celebrates female courage, determination, and creativity. Commissioned by Tomorrow’s Warriors in 2015, she wrote an extended work for their Nu Civilisation Orchestra, performed at the Women of the World Festival on International Women’s Day at the QEH, London. Channelling Polyhymnia, the Greek Muse of music, poetry, and dance, Yazz created a suite of movements dedicated to outstanding women role models. This album contrasts her previous work, "La Saboteuse," which was driven by her inner-destroyer or anti-muse. Since the premiere performance, the music evolved and deepened, with Yazz choosing to feature a wider pool of artists, including members of her Hafla band and other musical friends, on this recording. Yazz shares her musical response to the stories and achievements of exceptional women, including Rosa Parks, Haifaa Al-Mansour and Malala Yousafzai, and simultaneously illuminates the creativity and talents of her musical collaborators. She hopes to inspire others, echoing Malala’s words, "to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves, and realise their full potential." “Rich, powerful, colourful, exciting and highly evocative.” - The Jazzman “Yazz Ahmed (…) establishes herself as one of the more creative new voices in jazz with Polyhymnia. (…) This is a first-rate, original album.” Paul de Barros, Downbeat “But nothing prepared me for the impact of her third album, Polyhymnia and its scale, breadth and imagination. It’s a large piece with a band of 25 mostly female musicians, that comfortably sits alongside the very best works of those great ’60s and ’70s British jazz composers.” Paul Kelley, London Jazz News “an innovative, wonderfully colourful conceptual album” - Hamish Irvine, Jazz Revelations “Everything you could want from a jazz album” - Robert Miklos, Everything Is Noise “If you want an album that can make you dance and think, explore and exult, sing and sigh then look no further than Polyhymnia.” - Andy Robson, Jazzwise * Jazz FM ‘Jazz Album of the Year’ 2020 * One of Jazzwise’s Top 20 albums of 2019 * In January 2020 Downbeat Magazine named Yazz as one of 25 artists set to shape the future of jazz over the next decade. * Recipient of the highly prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Innovation * Jazz FM ‘Jazz Act of the Year’ 2020 * Has won accolades from The Wire (Jazz Album Of The Year), Bandcamp (Best albums of 2017, Best Jazz Album), The Vinyl Factory, Stereogum, The Guardian, All About Jazz, and many more publications * Yazz Ahmed receives regular airplay on Soho Radio, Deutschlandfunk, Openlab, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, FBI Radio, FIP, Radio Raheem, KCRW, Rai Radio 3, Radio 1 (BE), NTS, Worldwide FM, and many more * Available on vinyl again after being out of print for several years * Original pressings on Discogs for up to £300 * Polyhymnia album reviews: * Downbeat ⭐⭐⭐⭐ * London Jazz News * Jazz Revelations ⭐⭐⭐⭐ * Everything Is Noise * Jazzwise * All About Jazz ⭐⭐⭐⭐