Peggy’s Spotlight feat Fight The Giant & Oli FitzGerald Trio

About this event

“The event’s mission is to shine a light on homegrown talent giving them a chance to shine on a stage that feels like home…” – Iulia Teodora Matei, Leftlion 

We’re back for another Spotlight event, welcoming early career musicians to the stage! This month we’re excited to welcome Fight the Giant, a jazz fusion quintet known for their innovative and accessible sound that blends dancy grooves with heavy bass riffs and rich harmonies. And Oli FitzGerald Trio, a dynamic jazz ensemble that has just released their debut album What Might Have Been, bringing a fresh mix of both classic and contemporary jazz.

Fight The Giant

Fight the Giant is a jazz fusion sextet based in Leeds, known for their innovative and accessible sound that blends dancey grooves with heavy bass riffs and rich harmonies. The band features an internationally award-winning rhythm section, including Jascha Bingham, a classically influenced pianist renowned for his emotive improvisation, Sean Blake, a double bassist who merges his experiences in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, as well as previous punk projects to bring the same intensity to jazz, and Adam Scott, a rock drummer at heart again moving to jazz, focusing on energetic grooves and creative rhythms.

The front line includes Oli Cripps, a trumpet player who grew up on the London jazz scene learning his trade from some of the greats of this generation, Louis Cryer, originally a classical guitarist who now integrates technology to create unique guitar tones and melodies: and Murray Robinson, a saxophonist and arranger who takes influence from video game music and Japanese jazz fusion to create unique melodies amongst classic jazz harmony.   

Together, these musicians, all of whom graduated from Leeds Conservatoire, create a dynamic fusion of diverse genres and musical ideologies, pushing modern fusion in a new direction. The band has started to build a following performing gigs across the North supporting award winning band Knats on their 2025 UK tour at Headrow House, as well as breaking onto the festival circuit playing We Out Here Lush Life Stage 2025. 

They have recently released their debut single Fight the Giant ahead of their upcoming EP in 2026.

Line up
Jascha Bingham – keys
Sean Blake – double bass
Adam Scott – drums
Oli Cripps – trumpet
Louis Cryer – guitar
Murray Robinson – sax

Links
Instagram
Website

Oli FitzGerald Trio

With their debut album What Might Have Been releasing in January 2026, the Oli FitzGerald Trio are a dynamic and innovative jazz ensemble known for their captivating performances and fresh interpretations of both classic and contemporary jazz. Led by bassist, Oli FitzGerald, the trio also features the incredible pianist Chris Outhwaite and the outstanding drummer Ethan Sweeting who are two of the most in demand young musicians today. The tunes from the new album What Might Have Been were influenced by the music of legendary bassist Charlie Haden with some additional influences from Carla Bley and Kit Downes. It mixes contrapuntal music with rhythmic grooves and textures that creates a different sound world for the listener.

After having an appreciation for the classic piano trios through history, this music is truly about melody and the beauty this can bring out. The chemistry in the band has developed over years of playing together where spontaneous exchanges and dialogues open up the music whether that is conscious or subconscious. Whenever this band plays, it is all about making great music with depth, control and energy that is executed with elegance.

Be sure to check them out or their new album which is available on Bandcamp (Oli FitzGerald) and physical CD!

Line up
Oli FitzGerald – bass
Chris Outhwaite – piano
Ethan Sweeting – drums

Links
Instagram
Bandcamp