Ally Fiola – Alto & Tenor (7) Saxophone
Evan Mahaney – Tenor Saxophone (1)
Donald MacLennan – Violin (1, 3, 5, 6)
Simon Oakey – Trombone
Addison Sowery-Quinn – Sousaphone & Trombone (6)
Tom Richards – Keyboards & Trombone (6)
Mary Beth Carty – Accordion (3, 5)
Larry Bjornson – Electric Bass (4-7)
Lowell Whitty – Drums
Clare Macdonald – Drums (7)
Jah’Mila – Vocals (7)
Michele King – Tap Dancing (2, 3, 6)

Nova Scotian saxophonist and composer Ally Fiola’s new record Exit 10 is an invitation to think locally and groove globally. A concept album that celebrates her roots in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Exit 10 is a joyous celebration of place featuring some of Canada’s finest musicians from the jazz and trad scenes. Together, they dig into a feast of Fiola’s original music – raucous fiddle tunes, soulful melodies, and swampy funk grooves.

On this new album, Fiola finds a way to look at familiar places and landscapes with a renewed perspective and a fresh sense of excitement. Each song on Exit 10 is inspired by a location in the Annapolis Valley that was important to her when she was growing up.

The record weaves a nostalgic narrative through the fusion of her unique groove-jazz sound with elements of the East Coast music tradition, including tap dancing, fiddle and accordion music, and the sound of the ocean. Merging traditional Celtic instruments with her modern brass band sound became a way to represent who Fiola is as a person and where she is as an artist. It also allowed her to challenge current jazz paradigms and demonstrate how expansive the genre can be.

The creation of this album was inspired by Fiola’s move back to the Annapolis Valley after a decade spent living in Halifax. Like many former Haligonians, she’d been priced out of the city. Initially, she feared that moving back home would mean sacrificing all of the artistic milestones that she had attained, and that it would cut her off from the music industry and the relationships she had built along the way. These fears were dispelled when she discovered a welcoming, thriving arts scene, and realized that  her old community in Halifax wasn’t so far away after all. Fiola’s rediscovery of the Valley and renewed perspective strengthened her sense of self, inspiring this beautiful musical dedication to her rural homeland.

allyfiola.com

Release Date: Friday, October 16th 2026