ALLY FIOLA & THE NEXT QUEST, Exit 10

Some homecomings are measured in miles, others in the distance between who we were and who we have become. On Exit 10, Nova Scotian saxophonist, composer and bandleader Ally Fiola turns her return to the Annapolis Valley after a decade in Halifax into a seven-track musical landscape where memory, place and reinvention collide in wonderfully unexpected ways.

Rather than simply revisiting the sounds of her youth, Fiola takes familiar landmarks and gives them fresh rhythmic DNA, fusing contemporary jazz with East Coast fiddle and accordion traditions, New Orleans brass-band color, soulful grooves and even tap dancing. Working with a versatile ensemble she calls The Next Quest, the result is an album that feels deeply rooted without ever sounding confined by its roots.

For listeners discovering Fiola for the first time, she is an increasingly versatile presence on the Canadian jazz and contemporary music scene, working not only as an alto saxophonist and bandleader but also as a film composer with a background in both jazz and classical music. Her previous album, Interblaze, brought together musicians including Grammy-winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin and keyboardist Glenn Patscha, while her work has also taken her through the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity and international artist residencies. That broad musical perspective helps explain why Exit 10 can move so naturally between sophisticated jazz improvisation, cinematic atmosphere, creative percussive foundations and the traditional sounds of her native Nova Scotia.

From the opening drum-and-cymbal flourish of “English Mountain,” Fiola establishes a sonic language built on contrast. Her smoky, soulful alto winds through a slow-stomping blues pulse, surrounded by Evan Mahaney’s tenor and Simon Oakley’s trombone, before breaking into an adventurous yet remarkably melodic solo. Donald McLennan’s violin then brings an unexpected, almost whimsical lift to the proceedings, while Tom Richards’ keyboards add another layer of vintage color. It is an early indication that Fiola is less interested in conventional jazz hierarchy than in creating a living ensemble where unexpected voices can suddenly emerge.

“Cumberland” makes that philosophy even more apparent, pairing Fiola’s strutting alto with trombone over a relaxed rhythmic shuffle before giving way to exotic percussion and an extended sax showcase. The structure keeps shifting without losing its pulse: the horns unite, separate for individual improvisations and return with renewed force. “The Lookoff” pushes the concept into exuberant territory, merging McLennan’s festive violin and Mary Beth Carty’s fanciful accordion with marching drums, punchy brass accents, high spirited tap dancing and sousaphone. Fiola’s alto becomes the mischievous narrator inside a festive musical parade, with Lowell Whitty’s percussion providing the muscular foundation beneath the constantly shifting exchanges.

The dazzling “Valley Drive In” may be the album’s most dramatic example of Fiola’s appetite for movement. Its retro soul-jazz rhythmic drive evokes classic electric jazz before suddenly slowing into an emotionally searching ballad, then snapping back into swaggering alto/trombone interplay. A wah-wah trombone passage, passionate alto improvisation and expansive electric-piano solo turn the track into a series of thrilling detours. “Scott’s Bay” takes a more atmospheric route, beginning with ocean sounds and distant bells before settling into a sophisticated undercurrent colored by Carty’s accordion, MacLennan’s violin and Larry Bjornson’s electric bass, with the horn ensemble surrounding Fiola’s silky alto.

“Wolfville” returns to a heavier, slow-burning funk, with trombone, alto, bass and percussion continually reshaping the groove through stop-start accents, solos and full-ensemble eruptions. At the end of the set, “When Things End,” featuring Jamaican-born, Halifax-based and Juno-nominated vocalist Jah’Mila, shifts the album’s atmosphere. Tapping into her rich, soothingly soulful and rangy palette, she delivers a bittersweet, subtle but powerful meditation on endings and the hope that remains afterward, while Fiola’s alto and an extended bass solo turn haunting loss into forward motion.

That is ultimately what makes Exit 10 so compelling: it is a transformative homecoming, but not a retreat. Fiola returns to the landscape that shaped her artistry and discovers new artistic possibilities within it, proving that sometimes going back is precisely how you find your way forward.