RV JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL | Jasmine Myra + Eight Piece Band

Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues Festival 2023 opens with the pure delight of Jasmine Myra leading her eight piece band through her uplifting debut album 'Horizons'.

Jasmine Myra is a saxophonist, composer and band leader, based in Leeds. Part of the bustling, creative, cross-genre music scene in the city she has surrounded herself with some of the best young talent in the north of England.

Myra's band features Leeds based musicians Ben Haskins (guitar) and George Hall (drums), who met while studying at Leeds Conservatoire. They joined the band when it was first formed, during Myra's final year of study.

The band also features rising stars from the Leeds community Jasper Green (keys) and Sam Quintana (double bass), who feature on Myra's debut album 'Horizons'.

Recreating the beautiful sounds of Alice Roberts (harp) as heard on the album, is Liam Detar (guitar).

More recently, the line-up has grown with the addition of Arran Kent (flute/bass clarinet) and Matt Cliff (flute/alto sax).

Jasmine's original instrumental music has a euphoric and uplifting sound, influenced by artists as diverse as Bonobo, Olafur Arnalds and Kenny Wheeler whose music share an emotive quality that you can hear in Myra's own compositions.

She has recently signed to Gondwana Records and has been working with producer Matthew Halsall, whose keen ear for talent helped bring the music of GoGo Penguin, Mammal Hands and Hania Rani to the wider world.

"I was immediately drawn to Jasmine's music. I could hear jazz, electronica in her music but with a deep, honest, emotional quality. I was really impressed with her skills as a composer and bandleader, that she is open and intelligent enough to bring all those influences together, to make something fresh and original." Matthew Halsall

Line-up:
Alto sax – Jasmine Myra
Flute – Matt Cliff
Flute / bass clarinet – Arran Kent
Guitar – Ben Haskins
Guitar – Liam Detar
Piano – Jasper Green
Double bass – Sam Quintana
Kit – George Hall