After many years of touring and performing together, Jake Barden (Sydney) and Louis Stapleton (Germany) formed a great musical bond and deep understanding of each other’s playing. In 2008 and 2009, Louis and Jake toured Europe together playing at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Jazz a Vienne in France and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. Since then, Louis has moved to Weimar, Germany where he is studying at the Franz Liszt School of Music and Jake is now studying at the Sydney Conservatorium.  Last year they recorded an album together (Late Nights and City Lights), and while Louis is back in Australia for a couple of months we have the opportunity to hear them together, with Cam Reid on drums and Brendan Clarke on double bass.

“Jake Barden is a very talented musician. I’m sure his name will be widely known among the next generation of top players”
— Don Burrows, 2010
“Louis has strong concepts of voicing, melodic line, complex rhythms and I must say, for his age, his compositions are very advanced”
— Tom O ́Halloran, 2008

check out some youTube at jakebarden.com.au