Jess Gillam is inviting listeners on an extraordinary musical journey with the announcement of ‘SHINE’, her new album arriving October 9 on Decca Classics. Spanning 900 years of music, the acclaimed saxophonist and broadcaster brings together everything from Hildegard of Bingen and C.P.E. Bach to Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie in a collection built around one simple idea: music that lifts people up.
“I had one ambition with this project: to make an album that would make people smile,” says Gillam. “I wrote down an album manifesto about a year ago and it simply said: BIG ENERGY. BEAUTY. MUSIC TO MAKE PEOPLE SMILE. MUSIC TO LIFT PEOPLE UP.”
‘SHINE’ blends folk traditions, Baroque masterworks, jazz, classical music and contemporary songwriting into an eclectic programme that reflects Gillam’s lifelong musical influences. Alongside familiar favourites are new discoveries, creating an album that celebrates connection, curiosity and the joy of sharing music across generations.
Recorded over three days at School Farm Studios in Cambridgeshire, ‘SHINE’ marks Gillam’s first album as a co-producer. She worked alongside Norwegian violinist and Barokksolistene artistic director Bjarte Eike, bassist Sam Becker and engineer and mixer Will Purton, joined by an exceptional ensemble including Max Baillie, Ellie Consta, Ali Vennart, Hadewych van Gent, Sam Wilson and Leif Kaner-Lidström.
The album features music by Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Barbara Strozzi, Ruaidhrí Dall Ó Catháin, C.P.E. Bach, Sidney Bechet, Barbara Thompson, Joni Mitchell, Corelli, David Bowie and Hildegard of Bingen, while the original improvisation “Prelude to Hildegard” provides a deeply personal bridge into the album’s closing work.
Already one of Britain’s most celebrated classical musicians, Gillam continues to redefine what a modern classical career can be. The first saxophonist signed to Decca Classics, she has become an award-winning broadcaster through BBC Radio 3’s ‘This Classical Life’, performed at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms as its youngest-ever soloist and earned an MBE for services to music.
The music from ‘SHINE’ will come to life throughout 2026 with performances at Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Lichfield Festival and a series of UK concerts following the album’s release. Gillam will also appear at the BBC Proms before beginning her tenure as Artist in Residence with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
‘SHINE’ is an inspired celebration of music’s ability to connect people across centuries, cultures and genres, showcasing Jess Gillam’s remarkable artistry and boundless musical curiosity.
Track Listing:
“Shine You No More” (Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen)
“Jig of Life” (Kate Bush)
“Che si può fare?” (Barbara Strozzi)
“Tabhair dom do lámh” (Ruaidhrí Dall Ó Catháin)
“Flute Concerto in A minor, H.431 – I. Allegro assai” (C.P.E. Bach)
“Petite Fleur” (Sidney Bechet)
“Tribute to Sidney Bechet” (Barbara Thompson)
“A Case of You” (Joni Mitchell)
“La Folia” (Corelli)
“Life on Mars?” (David Bowie)
“Prelude to Hildegard”
“Spiritus sanctus vivificans” (Hildegard of Bingen)
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