Where the Joy Is
Jazz pianist and composer Amanda Tosoff releases Where the Joy Is, the third and final instalment of her art-song–inspired Words Project. Following her JUNO-nominated albums Words and Earth Voices, the recording reunites Tosoff with longtime collaborators vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow, saxophonist Allison Au, bassist Jon Maharaj, and drummer Morgan Childs. Recorded after Tosoff’s first post-pandemic tour, Where the Joy Is captures a moment of renewal — though not without complexity. Through poetry-infused original compositions and reimagined works by Harold Arlen and Joni Mitchell, Tosoff explores joy in its many forms: in nature and childlike wonder, in the struggle of the artistic process, and in choosing love through letting go. Rather than offering easy optimism, the album suggests that even in uncertainty and change, we are reminded to keep our hearts open — returning, again and again, to where the joy is.