"Jazz Codes began as a poetry book with accompanying instrumentals from producer Olof Melander, though Ayewa soon found herself playing bandleader to an ensemble of virtual collaborators during lockdown. Her spoken words, songs and sighs give shape to this tempest of jazz, hip-hop and R&B, whirling together a who's-who of Black classical: Ayewa dextrously chains mentions of Billie Holiday, Albert Ayler, Nina Simone and Rahsaan Roland Kirk on rap manifesto Evening".