About Luke

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Luke Bainbridge is a drummer, composer, and percussionist working in diverse contexts as a sideman and bandleader. He has won awards in both jazz and contemporary classical arenas (2018 Dankworth Prize; 2017 BCMG Compass Composition Prize) and garnered critical acclaim for his albums Surface Tension (2021) and PETSTEP (May 2026). Reuniting with bandmates Kieran McLeod, Ralph Wyld and Huw V Williams in PETSTEP, "Bainbridge's nuanced, intellectual yet gutsy quartet" were praised as "masters of dynamic groove" (Prog/Jazz Views). UK Vibe declared that “no tune lets this album down” in their 5/5 review, and the entire record has now been broadcast across BBC R3, Soho Radio, One Jazz, Radio Sudd, alongside a featured interview for 674.fm Köln. Following the album's launch gig at SJQ and a headline show at Jazz in the Round, the quartet is now planning a UK and European tour in 2027

 

Beyond his own projects, Luke plays in Hootini Brass Band, with their singles featuring on BBC radio shows such as James Morrison's Top Brass and Soweto Kinch's 'Round Midnight. He has shared stages with Chip Wickham, the Multi-Story Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, and the James Taylor Quartet (Barbican, Cadogan Hall), alongside recording and performing with comedy icons Jazz Emu (Ego Death, BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show) and Sheeps (Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre). Luke holds an MA in Jazz Percussion from the Royal Academy of Music and a BMus in Music from the University of Birmingham. Alongside his work as a musician, Luke is a committed educator, teaching 1-1 drums and percussion, and directing jazz, pop and percussion ensembles from junior to secondary level.