Vega Trails is a British chamber-jazz project led by double-bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick, a founding member of Portico Quartet, with saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands, Sunda Arc) as his core collaborator. The name comes from Carl Sagan's novel Contact, and the music draws on jazz, folk and contemporary composition. Their 2022 debut Tremors in the Static was shaped partly by Swedish fiddle music and Jan Johansson's Jazz på Svenska; the follow-up Sierra Tracks (Gondwana Records, 2025) expanded the sound with piano, vibraphone and a ten-piece string ensemble recorded in Warsaw.
Vega Trails released their second album Sierra Tracks on Gondwana Records on 28 March 2025, expanding the duo sound with piano, vibraphone and a ten-piece string ensemble.
UK Jazz News reviewed Sierra Tracks on its release date, calling it far more than a follow-up to Tremors in the Static.
The strings for Sierra Tracks were recorded at Polish Radio Studios in Warsaw in February 2024, with Fitzpatrick sharing a ten-piece ensemble with pianist Hania Rani.
Vega Trails embarked on a European and UK tour running from September to November 2025, covering 15 dates across Italy, Belgium, Germany, the UK and France.
Further tour dates for 2026 have been announced, including shows in Bucharest, Istanbul, Vilnius and Sceaux.
