Joy Guidry - Five Prayers (Jaid)

The Slow Music Movement
2 days ago
2 min read

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's May 26th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

Joy Guidry - Five Prayers album cover. Hands holding a large, round, black braided wig with long strands against a plain white background. Monochrome image.

Joy Guidry is a Houston born bassoon player, improvisor, performance artist and experimental composer who leapt into the alternative music world and onto my radar in 2022 with her hard hitting Radical Acceptance LP, an at times challenging mix of experimental ambient, stream of spoken word consciousness and free jazz, pretty much the perfect vehicle to shout to the world that being, “black, fat, queer and non binary is valid in every way”, a message that sadly needs reiterating more than ever these days.

This follow up transmission sees her heading into altogether more contemplative territory, as well as taking control of her art by launching her own label imprint, Jaid Recordings. Still battling her mental health issues in recent years, in fact suffering one of her worst episodes, Guidry turned to music therapy, embracing more silence and solitude as well as sonic meditations and poetry, resulting in this wonderful release.

In tough times familiarity can be helpful so her bassoon is back front and centre, although she takes it out of its rarefied orchestral comfort zone and into peculiarly becalmed, spiritual jazz realms. To assist with this transition it’s also passed through electronic effects which gently muddy the electroacoustic waters, augmented by Elizabeth Steiner’s occasional harp playing and Diego Gaeta’s low gravity synth work - a constant companion.

“Convince Me to Stay” is a particularly sedate opener, the bassoon naked and vulnerable, and the distant ambient electronics hovering in the background offering little cover for the emotional honesty. “You’ve Done What You Can” treads more recognisable spiritual jazz ground with the bassoon, voice and synths spinning a more animated, hopeful tale. “Hold and Be Held” retreats to more sedate ambient pastures, the bassoon’s soft musing ushering Steiner’s minimal harp into the meditation circle.

“Myles” sees faint chimes and cosmic jazz keys blow in from the South before a surprising, cultured and welcome deep house second half. The EP closes with the sprawling, long form ambient voyage “I Know You’re Here With Me“ in which the bassoon remembers its classical roots but chooses not to shout too loud about them, preferring to synergise and socialise with the soft touch ambient surrounds.

The album is a start to finish meditative joy, a welcome return from Guidry and an auspicious start to her label.