For those unaware, Exit 10 (out now) is a jazz concept album that celebrates Ally Fiola’s roots in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, where each song is titled after an important location to her growing up.

A nostalgic narrative is woven through the fusion of her unique groove-jazz sound with elements of the East Coast music tradition, including tap dancing, fiddle, accordion, and the ocean.

Her 2023 album Interblaze — a bold and soulful exploration of grief, passion, and resilience — features standout collaborations with Grammy-winning musicians such as saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Dave Matthews Band) and keyboardist Glenn Patscha (Bonnie Raitt).

The record showcases Ally’s strength as a composer, performer, and producer, and has resonated with international listeners for its emotional depth and musical sophistication.

Also a resourceful film composer with a background in jazz and classical studies, Ally often experiments with sonic and harmonic elements, blending traditional and contemporary styles with influences of her experiences as a professional saxophonist.

The majority of her writing contains an element of storytelling, which is a creative framework that she values immensely, having worked on films across North America and Europe. She is an active board member for the Screen Composers Guild of Canada, and received her Masters in Film Composition from Kingston University in London, UK.

1. English Mountain [05:22]
2. Cumberland [03:19]
3. The Lookoff [04:30]
4. Valley Drive In [05:37]
5. Scott’s Bay [06:08]
6. Wolfville [05:25]
7. When Things End (feat. Jah’Mila) [04:38]

With a delightful nostalgic narrative having been woven through the fusion of Ally’s unique groove-jazz sound here on this new recording, she opens on the smoothly playful English Mountain and the more artfully sculpted, debonaire in is build Cumberland and then we are gifted the more strident fare of The Lookoff, the luxuriant Valley Drive In and the resplendently soulful Scott’s Bay, the new set rounds out on the rhythmically impassioned Wolfville, closing on the sumptuously supple When Things End (featuring Juno-nominated reggae singer Jah’Mila).

Ally’s artistic development includes a music residency at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity where she worked with the Quasar Saxophone Quartet and was part of the Canadian Academy’s ‘Women in Post’ 2024-2025 cohort for composition and post-production sound.

In 2023, she was selected for the La Napoule Canadian Artist Residency in France, where she composed a Canada Council-funded orchestral piece on climate change’s impact on coastal communities, and was a co-artist in residence alongside award-winning accordionist Mary Beth Carty at the 2025 Deep Roots Residency at Ross Creek Centre for the Arts.

Official Purchase Link

www.allyfiola.com

Ally Fiola @ Facebook