Phil Meadows is a multi-award-winning saxophonist and composer whose music fuses jazz improvisation with cinematic harmony, global rhythms, and contemporary grooves. Known for his expressive sound and collaborative spirit, he leads acclaimed projects including Engines Orchestra, Beware of the Bear, and Future Movers—creating music that bridges tradition and innovation.
A recipient of two Parliamentary Jazz Awards, a London Music Award, and the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award, Phil has toured extensively across the UK and Europe, performing both with his own projects and alongside artists such as Matthew Herbert, Femi Temowo and Rogier Telderman. His work has been featured on BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM, and praised in The Guardian, Jazzwise, and All About Jazz for its originality, emotional depth, and adventurous spirit.
Performance highlights include the Barbican, North Sea Jazz Festival, Flagey (Brussels), Jazz Middelheim (Antwerp), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Ronnie Scott’s, Bimhuis (Amsterdam), Paradox (Tilburg), Love Supreme Festival, and Manchester Jazz Festival.
Beware of the Bear
Beware of the Bear is the genre-blurring project led by multi-award-winning saxophonist and composer Phil Meadows. Drawing from global influences, the band fuses jazz with hip-hop, electronica, classical, and contemporary sounds — creating music that is as emotionally charged as it is rhythmically infectious.
At its heart, Beware of the Bear is about unity, awareness, and positive change. With the world increasingly polarised, the group uses music to explore themes of peace, humanity, and social truth — challenging appearances and celebrating the power of collective strength. The name itself nods to the paradox of the brown bear: gentle in stories, formidable in nature — a metaphor for public figures who aren't always as they seem.
Following two UK tours under the Phil Meadows Project banner, the band evolved into Beware of the Bear, embracing a new sonic identity shaped in collaboration with electronic artist Nick Tyson (Gentleman’s Dub Club, XOA) and producer Mikko Gordon (Thom Yorke, Matthew Herbert). Their live sound blends immersive synth textures with driving grooves and virtuosic improvisation, echoing the likes of GoGo Penguin, Portico Quartet, Donny McCaslin, and Bill Laurance.
Live Line-Up:
Phil Meadows – Saxophone / Electronics
Michael De Souza – Guitar
Joe Downard – Bass
Jay Davis – Drums
Future Movers
Future Movers is a monthly platform at Ronnie Scott’s showcasing the very best in upcoming UK jazz talent. Curated by multi-award-winning saxophonist Phil Meadows, the ever-evolving ensemble invites four new players to join him each month, creating a fresh lineup that blends emerging voices, original music, and spontaneous collaboration.
Since launching in 2020, over 70 early-career artists have taken part, with many now leading their own projects, releasing music, and touring internationally with major acts. Future Movers offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience tomorrow’s jazz innovators at the very start of their journey, in one of the UK's most iconic venues.