Emma Rawicz: ‘Inkyra’

It takes strength of character to release a new album where the opening melody is played by a band-mate, the tune lasts just over a minute and your own playing appears for the last ten seconds. Emma Rawicz proves once again on ‘Inkyra’ that she’s a generous musical powerhouse, emphasising her composition skills alongside those undoubted sax chops.

Ikyra opens with Earthrise, featuring Gareth Lockrane on a gorgeous, sonorous bass flute before there’s a brief appearance of Emma’s sax, and a swift segue into Particles of Change, which motors along nicely and introduces us properly to Emma’s tenor sax and the entire sextet. By the time we reach the end of the album, A Long Goodbye once more brings Lockrane’s flute to the fore.

Alongside Emma Rawicz (tenor and soprano saxes) and Gareth Lockrane (flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo), there’s David Preston (guitar), Scottie Thompson (Rhodes, piano, Prophet), Kevin Glasgow (electric bass) and Jamie Murray (drums). Together, they take each of the leader’s ten compositions and create a sublime collection of jazz that could be anyone’s introduction to what’s great about jazz right now.Emma recently became a BBC New Generation Artist and for very good reason. Her 2023 album Chroma and her spectacular performances with pianist Gwilym Simcock, as well as concert hall performances around the world demonstrate virtuosity and dexterity.

Plus, she’s one of the nicest people. You can hear my conversation with Emma for the first Harmonious World episode of 2025 here.

Collaboration seems to always be at the heart of Emma’s composition and playing and Inkyra allows every member of this sextet to shine. That opening with Lockrane’s always beautiful flute evolved into an album of outstanding performances, collectively and individually. The beautiful keyboard start of A Portrait of Today allows the tune to expand into what sounds like a much larger ensemble piece. I love Preston’s brief guitar openings of Anima Rising and Marshmallow Tree.

Not only does Emma collaborate, but she takes her inspiration from a variety of sources. She says: “Some of the inspiration for the music comes from Joni Mitchell. That might sound strange at first, because the pieces don't sound like singer/songwriter music. Nevertheless, I immersed myself in her music before composing the programme. I am fascinated by her way of structuring melodies, her use of harmony, unusual tunings and unfamiliar chords that you don't hear in jazz. That influenced me on the piano and in turn shaped my work as a composer. The result is a unique identity. I also took inspiration from the lyrics, which appear in the titles of the pieces and have also inspired the fantasy name of the album.”

When I interviewed Emma at the end of 2024 for that first episode, I had no idea that 2025 would be so much her year, with Inkyra and more touring closing it all off. Who knows what 2026 will deliver.