“MOMENTS IN MY NOTEBOOK” By Fiona Ross

Few artists infuse their lived experiences, social awareness, and musical creativity in the profound manner that Fiona Ross does with her latest offering, “Moments in My Notebook.” This 21-track album is more than just a collection of songs; it is an expansive and emotionally nuanced culmination of a decade's worth of effort that perfectly reflects her artistry as a milestone of the century. This compilation was released on May 30, 2025, and can be streamed globally on platforms like YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and Amazon Music, marking moments and several jazz-infused titles within the mix. “Moments in my notebook” is a telling testament of Ross’s inimitable legacy and profound voice fol creed contemporary jazz. From celebrating landmark anniversaries of original releases to expansions into newer avenues of jazz exploration, Ross is undoubtedly one of the most groundbreaking artists of our time.

With vibrant prefaces and mellifluous closings, the album intertwines tendril-like motifs of conversations as well as letters woven into the pieces, waiting for listeners to be discovered. For years, she has tackled writing challenges of neck-deep imagination and overfilled imagery head-on through delicate prologues and evocative closes. Moments into the vivid landscapes of jazz infused with soaring passages of Ross’s vocals, listeners are set on a journey of tender vulnerability with melodic motifs guiding them through the soundscape and a glowing piano foundation. Track three, “Collecting Injustices,” shows Ross's social awareness and consciousness. It explores the critique of systemic inequalities in society set to grace notes, harmonies, and an ever-present urgency. The transition into “I Don’t Want Money” is bold yet smooth. This track captures the creator's lament of the need to make art while being financially burdened. It represents Ross in her most confessional voice, unrelentingly speaking quite normally over an incessant and throbbing rhythm that aches for tiredness while provoking arrogance, resulting in a deeply combative attitude.

“You Make The Rain Go Away” brings relief with its sonic warmth that kisses the ears, even if its themes are somewhat heavy. As sweet as it is romantic, without coming off overly sugar-coated, the composition revolves around luscious phrasing and a bossa nova-tinged rhythm that lifts the spirits. “I Won’t Play” flips the narrative once more, providing a centerpiece that is rhythmically striking on the record. The lyrics simmer with subtle defiance while Ross draws a boundary line, both musically and lyrically refusing to comply and shatter expectations set upon her.

Alongside “This Energy,”  “Pirates in Paris” is arguably one of the most cinematic pieces in the album. It was based on the personal experiences of Ross during her time in the capital. The song captures the essence of both a city and freedom. Ross vividly describes the movements and artistic bursts that happen under the Parisian sky, which are vividly described in the instrumentation and storytelling. “This Energy,” on the other hand, is a kinetic and upbeat song where joy and movement flow together. It refreshes the mid-album point. “I’m Going Travelling” and “Sometimes I Feel So Alone” capture the best of both worlds, as isolation and escape are well-balanced. The former is a quiet, haunting ballad that captures the raw voice of Ross, while the latter makes the listener feel free. Personal relations are explored in “When I Think of You,” where the artist recalls memories of longing. Here lies warmth and the fragile embrace of forgiveness wrapped into gentle melody and subtle orchestration.

“Searching for Something I Can't Find” and “I Found A Song In My Notebook” are united as a poetic diptych. The first one shows a sense of pain and an inner, maybe unraveling ache. The second one, co-written in her teenage years, shows how time can, sometimes decades later, remind us how ideas are laid across time. Ross’s voice, with all the trembling, reflects sincerity as she rewinds for the first time in two decades. “Voices Unheard” is one of the most powerful tracks in terms of message and delivery. Consider the track a masterclass of music activism paying respect to Melba Liston, James Baldwin, Mary Lou Williams, and Ida B. Wells. Each name lingers like a hymn, carried most beautifully by an arranged cry for these histories not to be forgotten, beseeching for their hearing. “Taking It Slow” follows, and with soft strength, gives a severe shift for exhalation and mindfulness following the intensity of the preceding theme.

The album’s highlight is undoubtedly the live recorded version of “China Told Me: The Live Session.” This track features J Steps, Ross’s former students at the Gordon School, and is inspired by the wonderful talent of China Moses. It embodies everything Ross strives for: the joy and beauty of society and empowerment, the vibrant spontaneity that bursts forth from communities coming together. The joy and chemistry of the track are clear, considering it was rehearsed and recorded in just one day. Watching the accompanying video, which is set to be released in June, will certainly evoke a deeper emotional connection.  The track “La Façon Dont Tu Bouges” adds a touch of French seduction. The rhythm is fun, playful, and sultry; perfect for dancing in a dark club. The songs “Not My Kind of People” and “Not Spending My Time” focus again on Ross’s self-definition theme, as she refuses to waste her energy on inauthentic environments or empty performative interactions. Both tracks are sharp yet not bitter, the smooth arrangements providing an edge to the lyrics without biting aggressive tones.

With its nearly spoken word delivery, “No More Hypocrisy” hits harder than the previous track, ramping up the energy to danceable levels. There is jazz-inflected defiance to it, Ross swinging truth, laying down the gospel capital of her hurled convictions. And finally, we arrive at “100 Songs,” a soft, introspective master of closing validation. There's a lingering tenderness to her pondering how her father would've perceived her life by the end value of this musical journey, long after the final strum. By her parting notes, she'd sounded sincere as an artist reflecting on her life’s work with both pride and questions that simply cannot be answered.

In its entirety, “Moments in My Notebook” captures a single stroke of brilliance. It’s so strikingly revealing how Fiona Ross meticulously composed this tender explosion of thoughts, blending the chronicle of her life and society’s profound narratives into jazz, Latin rhythms, and singular intimacy. Composed of sonic vignettes that each feel like a world unto themselves, encapsulates everything within the album’s mark milestone, yet feeling no less than a grateful journey towards a cherished past, instead utterly disconnected, rooted to the present with new ideas, urgent, endless stories, and emotional clarity.

This album not only serves as an appreciation gift to longtime fans of Fiona Ross but also offers an easy access point for new listeners to explore her musical universe. Whether you stream it on Spotify, watch live sessions on YouTube, or explore its depths on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, or Tidal, “Moments in My Notebook” is an invitation to join in globally on her installation. Every line, each chord, and every breath of the album speaks to the essence of what Ross has built: a sophisticated work that is part jazz, part journal, and part journey. Moving further in her career as she tours the UK and Europe with dates on May 31, 2025-Highworth Jazz Festival, June 4, 2025 - Soul Mama in London, August 16, 2025 – Acorn Theatre, Cornwall, and September 13, 2025 - Hampstead Jazz Club London UK, Fiona is not just a jazz name. She is a storyteller, an explorer, and a bold artist who isn’t afraid to take her notebook, set it on the table, and say, “These are the moments that made me.” If so, a hundred songs sound beautiful, and what comes next is bound to be unforgettable.

Written by Manuel