A powerful force on the UK jazz scene, Levitation Orchestra is a collective of rising stars, led by trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lidstrom, and including tenor saxophonist James Akers, harpist Maria Osuchowska, flautist Lluiìs Domeìnech Plana, vocalist Plumm, and drummer Harry Ling.
Sanctuary is the collective, at once its most grounded and its most expansive. The eleven-piece collective has always balanced spiritual jazz, orchestral sweep, and free-form improvisation, but here they dial into something more intentional: a shared emotional space built through trust, openness, and sheer musical generosity. The album feels like walking through a series of interconnected rooms, each one lit differently, yet all part of the same home.
The two advance singles show how wide this world can stretch. Embrace comes out swinging with radiant brass, fluid sax lines, and a rhythmic pulse that leans closer to dance than meditation. It’s the track that reminds you why this group is such a force live; everything feels alive and in conversation. Imladris, on the other hand, moves with a gentler glow. The harp and piano shimmer around bright horn melodies, and Plumm’s vocals settle into the arrangement like sunlight slipping through leaves. It’s warm, hopeful, and quietly majestic.
The Sai Anantam Ashram spiritual vibes are strong on the majestic Home. Opening with James’ spoken-word poem on the meaning of sanctuary, echoed by vocalist Plumm’s longing harmonies. Osu’s glistening harp swells will have Alice looking down with a knowing smile.
One of the album’s standout tracks, Premeditatio Malorum, carries a more intense, driving energy. The title references a Stoic practice of imagining adversity to cultivate resilience, and the music mirrors that with a dark‑hued momentum.
The closer Another Way feels like a release — a path forward that offers a sense of uplift or transformation. We’re used to LO blending genres across their albums, but this nine-minute track weaves together jazz, ambient, folk, rock, and classical. Maybe this piece offers a window into where they are heading next.
Across the album’s eight pieces, the group plays with a clarity that feels almost cinematic. The result is a record that invites you in, holds you close, and leaves you lighter.
