Mike De Souza Quintet

Described by Jazzwise as a “burgeoning guitar talent”, De Souza has performed at major European venues including the Elbphilharmonie, and at festivals in Graz, Varna and Kraków, where he was also a finalist in the 2021 Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition. The set features original music that moves between groove-driven riffs, rich harmonic writing and open improvisation, with acoustic and electronic elements combining to create a dynamic and immersive sound. Mike De Souza is a London-based guitarist and composer whose work combines detailed composition with a contemporary approach to sound. His releases include Road Fork, Slow Burn, Chrysalis (Fresh Sound New Talent) and Schism, each reflecting an evolving balance between acoustic jazz interplay and a broader, more textural palette. His writing is often centred around distinctive guitar-led material, moving between structured passages and open improvisation. As noted by BBC Radio 3, his music demonstrates “considered sound design...every bar seems to open into a new world.” Alongside his work as a bandleader, De Souza has performed widely across the UK and Europe, with appearances at venues including the Elbphilharmonie and festivals in Graz, Varna and Kraków, where he was also a finalist in the 2021 Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition. In addition, he is active as a sideman and collaborator, working with artists including Byron Wallen, Alex Paxton, Phil Meadows, Joy Ellis, Belle Chen and Twospeak. The quintet brings together a group of highly in-demand musicians from the UK jazz scene. Rick Simpson (piano/synth) has performed with Christian Scott, Eric Harland, Joe Sanders and Stan Sulzmann, and is known for his own releases including Klammer and Everything All of the Time: Kid A Revisited. Huw V Williams (bass) has worked extensively across contemporary and improvised music, collaborating with artists such as Jim Black, Ivo Neame, Mark Lockheart and Laura Jurd. Jay Davis (drums) is an award-winning drummer and composer who has performed with Yazz Ahmed, Elliot Galvin and John Parricelli, and has appeared internationally at venues and festivals including Umbria Jazz and the Bimhuis. The group is completed by tenor saxophonist Julian Siegel, a BBC Jazz Award winner who has performed internationally with artists including John McLaughlin, Hermeto Pascoal and the NDR Big Band, and is widely recognised for his work as a bandleader with the Julian Siegel Quartet and the long-running group Partisans.