Jess Gillam Announces 'Shine' - A joyful new album spanning 900 years of music, from Hildegard of Bingen to David Bowie
Decca Classics announces SHINE, the new album from saxophonist and broadcaster Jess Gillam, released on 9 October 2026.
“I had one ambition with this project: to make an album that would make people smile,” says Jess. “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.”
Spanning 900 years of music, SHINE brings together folk traditions, Baroque masterpieces, jazz, classical music and contemporary song in a programme that reflects Jess’s eclectic musical upbringing.
“I know music alone can’t fix the world but it can be a positive, unifying light in a world that can feel increasingly overwhelming and chaotic. That positive power is what I’m trying to celebrate on this album. I’m hoping that across these 11 tracks, you’ll find music packed with a whole lot of raw, impactful energy – whether you’ll be dancing to Bechet’s riotous riffs, comforted by the tender beauty of Ó Catháin’s “Tabhair dom do Lámh” or celebrating life with Hildegard von Bingen’s “Spiritus sanctus vivificans”.
Keeping collaboration and connection at its heart, the album pairs well known classics with new discoveries. Alongside Jess are Max Baillie and Ellie Consta (violin), Ali Vennart (viola), Hadewych van Gent (cello), Sam Becker (double bass), Sam Wilson (drums/percussion) and Leif Kaner-Lidström (piano). She’s also joined by an extended string group for the C.P.E. Bach.
Recorded over just three days at School Farm Studios in Cambridgeshire, SHINE marks Jess’s first album as co producer, working alongside Norwegian violinist and artistic director of Barokksolistene, Bjarte Eike, Sam Becker and engineer and mixer Will Purton.
”Making this album was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had," says Jess. “The dedication and skill of the musicians in the room made me feel unbelievably grateful to have picked up a saxophone at the age of seven and for it to have become my life. I’ve loved co-producing this album and I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’m so thankful to all of the players and everyone behind the scenes for giving this album absolutely everything.”
The album includes music by Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Kate Bush, Barbara Strozzi, C.P.E. Bach, Sidney Bechet, Barbara Thompson, Joni Mitchell, Corelli, David Bowie and Hildegard of Bingen. It also features Prelude to Hildegard, an improvisation on the final track, Hildegard of Bingen’s Spiritus sanctus vivificans.
Described by The Times as “everybody’s favourite saxophonist” and praised for her “breath-taking high wire virtuosity” by The Arts Desk, Jess has become one of Britain’s most distinctive musical voices. The first saxophonist to sign with Decca Classics, she is the award-winning presenter of BBC Radio 3′s This Classical Life, became the youngest ever soloist to perform at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms and was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2021.
The music of SHINE will continue to be heard throughout 2026, with performances including Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and Lichfield Festival during the summer, followed by a series of UK dates after the album’s release, including Kings Place, Saffron Hall, St George’s Bristol, Wiltshire Music Centre and The Glasshouse.
Alongside performances of SHINE, Jess’ 2026 season includes appearances at the BBC Proms, where she performs the premiere of Gwilym Simcock’s Triple Concerto alongside Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Ben Goldscheider, as well as engagements with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and Odense Symphony Orchestra. From September 2026 she also begins her tenure as Artist in Residence with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
