The Heart of the Archive: Jazz Heritage Wales

Jazz Heritage Wales

Jazz Heritage Wales is an archive, research hub, and cultural project dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of jazz in Wales. Founded by Professor Jen Wilson, the archive places a special focus on the contributions of women, Black musicians, and working-class communities.

Based at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea, and part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the organisation leads a range of creative projects — from music commissions and exhibitions to education programmes — all aimed at amplifying underrepresented voices in jazz history.

This soundwalk draws directly from those stories, brought to life through archival material and specially recorded performances.

About Paula Gardiner

Paula Gardiner is a Welsh jazz double bassist, composer, and educator. Beginning her musical career in classical guitar and theatre composition, she later transitioned into jazz — a move that would shape her life’s work and inspire generations of musicians. She served for over 20 years as Head of Jazz at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where she helped build one of the UK’s most respected jazz programmes. A passionate advocate for equity in music, Paula has championed the role of women in jazz both on stage and in education.

In addition to her role as Patron of Jazz Heritage Wales, Paula is an active member of the Ivors Academy Jazz Council, influencing national policy and professional development in jazz across the UK.

In this section of the walk, Paula reflects on the founding of Jazz Heritage Wales and the powerful legacy of its founder, Professor Jen Wilson.

Featured Music: “Honey Bee” by Deborah Glenister

The music featured in this section is titled “Honey Bee”, composed by saxophonist Deborah Glenister and performed by The Iridium Collective. This piece was recorded live at the Elysium Gallery in Swansea, as part of an evening of improvised responses to the Jazz Heritage Wales archive.

The performance captures the ensemble’s dynamic, layered sound and Glenister’s lyrical compositional voice, blending improvisation with a deep sense of place and history. We would like to thank the Elysium Collective and Elysium Gallery/Bar for their generous support of this project.

The Iridium Collective

The Iridium Collective is a boundary-pushing Welsh jazz ensemble known for its bold improvisational style, rich textures, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Blending contemporary jazz with folk, experimental, and ambient influences, the group creates music rooted in place, memory, and social history.

Following a visit to the Jazz Heritage Wales archive, the Collective encountered the original Fisk Jubilee Singers songbook, including the spiritual “We Are Climbing the Hills of Zion.” Inspired by its emotional and historical weight, they created a new arrangement — heard throughout one of the earlier zones — as a creative conversation across centuries. Their continued engagement with archive materials and community performance makes them a vital voice in the evolving story of freedom music in Wales.

For Improvised Histories: The Jazz Heritage Wales Soundwalk, the Iridium Collective created new compositions inspired by archival materials and oral histories from the Jazz Heritage Wales collection. Their performances were recorded specifically for this project, offering a fresh and emotionally resonant response to the stories shared along the route.