Ruta Di to Launch Her New Album Onwards & Upwardsat POSK

Lithuanian musician blends folk traditions and jazz improvisation

The

October 19, 2026

Ruta Di’s new album Onwards & Upwards is to be launched at the Jazz Café at POSK on King Street with a live performance on Saturday 24 October.

The London-based Lithuanian guitarist, singer-songwriter and composer has a body of work shaped by folk traditions and jazz improvisation.

The album’s origins are personal. One of its central melodies was written after her grandmother’s death. She tried repeatedly to find words for it, but none felt true. Eventually she left the piece without lyrics — and discovered that audiences connected with it more deeply that way. “The melodies became open spaces,” she writes, “places for memory, feeling, imagination, and reflection.”

Much of the material draws on Lithuanian folk influences, though not in a purist or nostalgic way. Instead, the traditional elements are folded into jazz textures, ensemble writing and improvisation. The result is a sound that feels rooted but not fixed, shaped by heritage yet open to experimentation with contributions from saxophonists Duncan Eagles, Leo Richardson and Alan Short.

While the album is mostly original material, one track stands out as a departure — a version of Stevie Wonder’s Too High that reimagines the song with a very different emotional register. It’s worth seeking out for the contrast alone.

Tickets for the launch cost £15 and can be purchased at the door or on Eventbrite. The bar opens at 7pm with music commencing at 8pm.

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Ruta Di to Launch Her New Album Onwards & Upwardsat POSK

Lithuanian musician blends folk traditions and jazz improvisation

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