Will Barnes Quartet: Outside the Light
>>Will Barnes Quartet<<
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Following the success of their debut album Source of the Severn, the Will Barnes Quartet returns with Outside the Light, a bold new collection of original jazz compositions. Drawing inspiration from local folklore and Celtic mythology, the album explores themes of light, seasons and changing landscapes.
Recent Venues:
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Pizza Express Live (Dean Street)
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Hay Festival
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Brecon Jazz Festival
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Swansea Jazz Festival
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AberJazz Festival
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Three sell out UK Tours
Biography:
Will Barnes Quartet is a contemporary jazz ensemble led by guitarist and composer Will Barnes. Formed around Barnes’s compositional vision, the quartet blends melodic guitar-led writing with open improvisation, drawing on modern jazz, post-bop, and cinematic atmospheres.
The core lineup—Will Barnes (guitar), Jack Gonsalez (piano), Aidan Thorne (bass) and James Batten (drums)—has become known for close musical rapport and responsive live playing. Their sound nods to figures like Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny and Oscar Peterson while aiming for a distinct, contemporary voice that reflects the landscapes and narratives that inspire Barnes’s writing.
Releases to date include the debut Source of the Severn and the follow-up Outside the Light. Source of the Severn introduced the quartet’s melodic sensibility and ensemble precision, while Outside the Light expanded the band’s conceptual focus—drawing on local folklore, seasonal cycles and changing landscapes—to deepen the interplay between composed material and improvisation. Across both records the group explores atmosphere, place and emotional arc without sacrificing swing, technical finesse or accessible melodic content.
On stage the quartet presents immersive sets that move between carefully arranged pieces and extended improvisation. They have appeared at prominent UK venues and festivals, and received positive press for their musicianship and evocative writing. At the centre of the project, Will Barnes combines a composer’s attention to narrative with a player’s commitment to conversation—leading a quartet that aims to be both expressive and approachable.
The quartet has performed at major UK venues and festivals, including Pizza Express Jazz Club (Soho), Hay Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, and BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends.
Reviews
★★★★
“Playfulness and invention throughout” Soweto Kinch, BBC Radio 3★★★★
“It’s sophisticated stuff in the contemporary vein... Barnes is [a] standout player, with fluent, hip, melodic chops that other guitar players must surely envy. ”
“The quality of this band makes one keen to hear them live”
Peter Jones, Jazzwise★★★★
“The quartet’s most adventurous recording to date. Barnes’ writing is increasingly individual and distinctive, displaying a growing maturity and a genuine melodic and narrative awareness.”
Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann“All four musicians support each other as they navigate the intricacies of Barnes’s intriguing and absorbing compositions, and as such Outside the Light comes highly recommended”
Nick Lea, Jazz Views“The band is in full creative flow on this album, fusing images of natural beauty into a soundscape of shimmering textures.
Neil Duggan, All About Jazz