Nubya Garcia | Odyssey

London-born saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Nubya Garcia shares her new album, Odyssey via Concord Jazz. Accompanying the album is the focus track, “Dawn” with esperanza spalding. Previous singles leading up to the album include “Set It Free” feat Richie, “Clarity” and “The Seer.” Get it here.

Odyssey is, as the title suggests, an ambitious, epic journey of an album. In a largely male-dominated scene, Garcia has carved herself a prominent space and she invites other brilliant Black women musicians to join her on this adventure, namely: esperanza spalding, Richie Seivwright, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.  Odyssey is produced by Garcia and returning collaborator Kwes. 

Describing Odyssey, Garcia says; “It represents the notion of truly being on your own path, and trying to discard all the outside noise saying you should go this way or that way.”  It’s also inspired by life’s ever-changing, ever-continuing adventure, the twists and turns of living.  Musically, the album finds Garcia orchestrating strings for the first time, having fallen back in love with composition and then studying a vast array of orchestral sounds.  The bigger, bolder result is a widescreen soundscape that traverses jazz, classical, R&B and dub. Following Garcia’s widely celebrated and Mercury Music Prize nominated 2020 debut, Source, the forthcoming album Odyssey is available to stream and purchase here, and the artwork and track list are included below.

We also highlight a very special focus track, “Dawn” featuring esperanza spalding. Says Garcia of the track: “every day for several weeks, it really got in my head in a good way and just encouraged me to pause and realise the power of that intention and shifting my rhythm. This composition began with this melody on one of those mornings, I started humming it to myself and there began its journey. After building in the harmony, the arrangement and the ideas, I knew that this would be a special melody to have a duet with saxophone and voice, and esperanza spalding’s inspiring storytelling and incredible vocals was who I heard joining me.”

Nubya Garcia is a multi award-winning artist.  She has toured extensively, playing venues and festivals across Latin America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States.  Her reputation as a DJ is also burgeoning; she helmed a popular radio residency on NTS, and plays a growing number of live sets across Europe.  Garcia has collaborated with major brands such as Lululemon, Paul Smith, Labrum, Nicholas Daley and Burberry, and as a composer, her original music has been placed with Apple TV (Ted Lasso); OWN Network (Cherish The Day); FX TV (Atlanta); EPIC GAMES (Fortnite); and on multiple podcasts (including the theme tune for Anika Noni Rose’s Clio award-winning podcast Being Seen).