Joy Guidry’s Five Prayers is an intuitive convergence of sound, spirit, and radical self-expression. A celebrated voice in experimental and avant-garde music spaces, Guidry pushes sonic boundaries rooted in Black sonic traditions. Her newest album, Five Prayers, shifts away from free jazz and into a meditative, ambient realm. Guidry’s live performance blends bassoon with low rumbling synths, warm electronic sounds, praise breaks, distortion, and heavy bass that reflect the artist’s lived experience as a Black trans woman from the South. Five Prayers is a profound act of self-exploration and liberation, offering audiences a raw, vulnerable, and transcendent musical journey.
Joy Guidry bassoon, electronics
Scott Li violin, synth
+Additional performers TBA
“With productions that sound as if they belong to a film soundtrack, Texas’ Joy Guidry is crafting elegant and joyous music that sits somewhere at the intersection of ambient, jazz, and experimental.” – Mixmag
“Joy Guidry’s music is an evocation of prayer … [that] sits at the nexus between Black classical music, modern European traditions, alt soul, jazz, and beyond.” – Clash Magazine
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Joy Guidry is a bassoonist, versatile improviser, performance artist, and composer of experimental, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling; Joy’s music channels her inner child in honor of her ancestors and predecessors. Joy was born in Houston, Texas, into a creative family that has shaped who she is today. Joy is the founder of Jaid Records, which is a record label that focuses on experimental ambient music and free jazz. Jaid Records was founded in October of 2024, and currently has released her third album titled Five Prayers.
Joy has presented her original work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, Kraftwerk, Whitney Museum for American Art, Hauser & Wirth, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Cafe Oto, The Kitchen, Redcat, among many other venues. She has been commissioned by The National Sawdust, JACK Quartet, Gaudeamus Festival, and the I&I Foundation. Joy has been featured in festivals like Berlin Atonal, La Biennale di Venezia, London jazz Festival, Banlieues Bleues festival, A’Larme Festival, Cologne Jazz Week, Dripping Festival, Big Ears Festival, and many more. Joy Guidry is the winner of the 2021 Berlin Prize for Young Artists. She is currently playing on a Heckel Bassoon number 6101.
