In jazz, programmatic themes have often provided the source of compositional inspiration, and interesting though the concept may be, it is not the means used to achieve an end, but the end that is achieved that counts.

So, putting Armenian mythology to one side, that Nar was the goddess of water and the oceans, and so on, and concentrate on the music, what we are left with here is an album of poise and melodic beauty, each track a compelling invitation to hear the next, a narrative arc that becomes a musical experience in its own right. To pull away from the album midway is akin to someone boorish changing TV channels midway through an absorbing film – you just have to stay to see where it will lead.

Zela Margossian previously impressed with the hauntingly spiritual dimension of her music on Transition (2018) and The Road (2021), and here it seems to bring the best out of Jeremy Rose, a critically acclaimed saxophonist in search of a context for his playing. Here he has found it; Hilary Geddes’ atmospheric guitar an inspirational element of colouring that adds mysterious depth to the music.