Jakub Klimiuk
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”Future of jazz is in safe hands"
UK Jazz News
Jakub Klimiuk is a Polish jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader based in London.
Throughout the years, he has recorded and shared the stage with the likes of Mark Lockheart, Jonas Kullhammar, John Horler, Dave O’Higgins, and Krystyna StaÅ„ko, working with both UK-based and international projects. He has performed at major jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, PizzaExpress Jazz Club Soho, and The Vortex, as well as at several European festivals, including the INNtöne Festival, the Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival, and the Sopot Molo Jazz Festival. Jakub has also played at concert halls like the Polish Baltic F. Chopin Philharmonic.
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Jakub’s debut album “(un)balanced” has received critical acclaim from major press outlets such as The Guardian, UK Jazz News, and Jazz Forum, praising his original compositional voice as well as his improvisational skills. His quintet has played several UK tours, including two sold-out performances at PizzaExpress Jazz Club Soho, and packed-out venues in Birmingham, Leeds, Belfast, or Aberdeen, among others, as well as toured Europe, performing at cultural hubs such as Berlin and Brussels. He has recently recorded a new quintet album, set for release in late 2026, alongside a European tour.
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After spending his formative years in GdaÅ„sk, Poland, cutting his teeth as a side-man and working with prominent Polish musicians, Jakub moved to the UK to pursue his career as a bandleader. He made his first appearance on the British jazz scene at the EFG London Jazz Festival, performing music from his quintet’s EP “Reluctance”, which established him as a fixture in the London jazz community.
Jakub is an adventurous composer focused on experimenting with musical forms and incorporating compositional techniques derived from contemporary classical music into jazz. His original compositions are a unique combination of arranged structures, often based on counterpoint, and fully improvised sections. He cites the current New York scene (Mark Turner, Jonathan Kreisberg, Aaron Parks), and Scandinavian musicians like Petter Eldh and Jakob Bro as his main influences.
