Will Barnes Quartet: Outside the Light
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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.
Will Barnes Quartet is a contemporary jazz quartet led by guitarist and composer Will Barnes, blending melodic, guitar-led writing with open improvisation and cinematic atmospheres. Drawing on modern jazz, post-bop and the landscapes and folklore of Wales, the quartet has developed a distinctive sound that is both evocative and accessible.
The band has become known for their close musical rapport and responsive live playing. Their sound nods to figures like Pat Metheny, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Wes Montgomery while aiming for a distinct, contemporary voice that reflects the landscapes and narratives that inspire Barnes’s writing.
Aidan Thorne: double bass, electric bass player and composer based in Powys, who is a prominent figure on the music scene in Wales and RWCM graduate.
Matthew Holmes: a Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Graduate (2020), winner of the Tony Levin Drum Prize (2019), Tony Levin Drum Prize panelist (2024), Young Musicians Company Finalist (2023) & (2024)
Ross Hicks: is a Cardiff based Jazz pianist and graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying under the likes of Huw Warren, Iain Ballamy and Alex Merritt.
The quartet has performed at leading UK venues and festivals and received national radio play and praise from publications including Jazzwise, UK Jazz News and All About Jazz.
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
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
“It’s sophisticated stuff in the contemporary vein [and] the playing by all concerned is immaculate throughout” Peter Jones, Jazzwise
“Their music has great depth, constructed with painstaking attention to dynamics and clarity, and erupting into dark, explosive sections of powerful drama.”
John Watson, UK Jazz News“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