'Onwards & Upwards' by Ruta Di

With a consistent tone of sincerity amongst her releases to date, Lithuanian guitarist, composer and vocalist Ruta Di continually looks for ways to assess how she delivers her own message through her music.  Her latest and fairly fantastic new project, 'Onwards & Upwards', proves to be indicative of that mindset.  

While instrumental compositions can provide listeners with a broad sonic palette for them to draw their own thoughts, feelings and conclusions, 'Onwards & Upwards' is Di's realisation that vocals - without words - can further lend itself to that collage of instrumentation that helps paint the picture for a listener without robbing them of their own journey towards the story's end.

As a deftly intricate musician and composer Ruta's credentials as a bass guitarist are largely what brought her to the proverbial dance but her evolution as an artist finds her adept at recontextualising her own music, and expectations, subsequently reinventing herself with each go-round.

Her three-track 'Notes from the Lockdown' EP, released during the time of hand sanitizer, face masks and elbow hi-fives in 2020, was a further example of Di using the skills and facilities available to her at the time.  A charismatic trio of tracks that acutely convey the frustration, boredom and anxiety of being couped up inside with the yearning for the simple pleasure of feeling the sunlight on your face again.

But now, six years later, we're treated to a notably different record in 'Onwards & Upwards'.  One created with significantly more geographic freedoms then 'Notes from the Lockdown' but one with its own level of emotional weight attached to its creation.

A project that initially began following the passing of her grandmother, Ruta became open to the idea that - even though a song can convey one specific meaning for the artist who created it - it can still be free to mean something else to somebody else.  It's an act almost devoid of any type of pretentiousness.  The idea of art being created from deeply personal circumstances but still being gifted to an audience to afford them the joy of drawing their own connections to is wonderfully noble.

Backed by an excellent array of musicians including Jakub Cywinski (double bass), Giovanni Crescenzi (bass guitar), Finn Genockey (drums), Alan Short (flute, alto sax), Duncan Eagles (tenor sax) and Leo Richardson (baritone sax), Di's affections for neo-soul are perhaps most evident throughout the album.  Tracks like 'Lela's Dance', 'Things We Don't Say' and the album's title track lovingly wear their influences on their sleeve while still joyously celebrating their affections for contemporary jazz.

Born from a moment of personal reflection, Ruta Di has created something that allows others to reflect upon their own experiences, memories and relationships.  Perhaps that's the real beauty of 'Onwards & Upwards' - a recognition that music doesn't need to provide the answers, just the blank canvas for our thoughts to roam free.