Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor &
soprano saxophones); Paul Edis (piano); Ken Marley (double bass); Russ Morgan
(drums)
Once a year one of the great tenor
saxophonists makes it his business to play a return engagement at Opus 4 Jazz
Club. The Traveller's Rest on West Auckland Road is home to Darlington's
premier modern jazz club and if it's a Friday in late October you're sure to
find Vasilis Xenopoulos linking up once more with his friend Paul Edis to
entertain a discerning audience there to listen to an evening of imperious
tenor saxophone playing.
Vasilis Xenopoulos made the trip
north from his west London home to play three gigs in as many days across the
north east of England. On the way the Greek born, London resident saxophonist
stopped off in Garforth near Leeds to pick up a soprano saxophone. Later in the
day he would put it to good use.
Dexterity is Xenopoulos' latest
album and it is a corker. Its inspiration is American tenor saxophonist Dexter
Gordon. Our guest opened his set with a number that isn't on the CD - Fried
Bananas. Two bars in confirmed this was going to be (yet again!) something
special. In total command of his instrument, an evening listening to a master
musician such as Xenopoulos is one to be treasured.
Working alongside Mr X were Edis,
piano, Manchester based bassist Ken Marley and Tyneside's adopted southerner,
drummer Russ Morgan. An A-list line-up playing first rate material to an
attentive audience with a beer in hand - your reviewer opting for a pint of
Monty Python's Holy Grail (Black Sheep) - it doesn't come any better than this.
Three cuts from Dexterity - Tanya with its
curious Coltrane 'n' Blakey feel, Montmartre and Society
Red. The second of three, Montmartre, featured Xenopoulos on
soprano saxophone. Go on, have a guess...yes, he could play the damn thing,
then some! Stopping off in Garforth to collect the endorsed instrument it was
crystal clear Xenopoulos knew his way round it.
Two numbers from Dexter
Gordon's Go! - Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to
Dry and Second Balcony Jump - to close a superb first
set were nothing short of magnificent.
The interval, the lounge, another pint
of Holy Grail ordered, the eye drawn to the television screen...Southampton 0
Leicester...is that 2? No, Leicester 7! A real Flying Circus of a game!
The one original number of the
evening, Xenopoulos' Dexterology (pure Xenopoulos, pure Dexter
G), resumed affairs. Hanky Panky, the Latin groove of Soy
Califa from the Clubhouse album (recorded a couple of
days after Gordon cut Go!) heard Edis quoting from here, there and
everywhere (all at the speed of light, no time to think about it, no time to
scribble down titles!) with Mr X switching mid-tune from tenor to soprano.
Anything Edis can quote, Xenopoulos can quote too and he did just that on Tivoli which
featured more fine work from Ken Marley.
Two tunes to finish - I'm a
Fool to Want You (another Clubhouse cut) with Russ
Morgan's expert use of mallets followed by a flying take on The End of a Love Affair. It had been another memorable evening and the whistling, hollering Opus 4 crowd demanded one more. Xenopoulos and co obliged with If You Could See Me Now. Superb.
Vasilis Xenopuolos with the Paul Edis
Trio continues his mini tour at St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook (Saturday 26),
7:30pm start and winds up at the Black Bull, Blaydon at 1:00pm the following
day.
Russell
1 comment :
According to my info, it's 7 oclock start tonight, so maybe get there early to be safe.
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