Vasilis Xenopoulos with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Traveller's Rest, Darlington - October 25

Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor & soprano saxophones); Paul Edis (piano); Ken Marley (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

 (Review by Russell)

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