Joe Steels - BOREALIS

Birmingham Jazz Festival 2024

Borealis is a contemporary music project led by emerging jazz guitarist Joe Steels, who graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire in 2019. These original compositions were written over the past few years, living in Cumbria and Northumberland, channelling the beauty of these landscapes with melodious improvisation. The project brings together musicians from across these regions. The pieces fuse elements of folk, rock and contemporary jazz, taking inspiration from British musicians such as Mike Walker and Nikki Iles. The collective are recording in December, with the album being released in May ‘23.

Line Up: Joe Steels – Guitar, Ferg Kilsby – Trumpet, Asha Nicholson – Vocals, Dan Brown – Piano, Paul Susans – Bass & John Hirst – Drums