Saturday 26 October 2024
Vasilis Xenopoulos/Paul Edis Quartet: “Feels Like Home”!
Vasilis and Paul describe the music on “Feels Like Home”: “rooted in the jazz tradition, this is music that's eclectic, groove based and fundamentally melodic. Including elements of hard bop, Latin jazz, gospel and even folk, there are nods to Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, John Coltrane, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau, McCoy Tyner and more besides. This is honest music full of emotions, inspired and unified around the central theme of ‘home’”. Concerning their new relationship with Ubuntu Music, they continue: “It’s been a real pleasure working with Martin Hummel and the Ubuntu team towards the release of our new album, ‘Feels Like Home’. We’ve felt really supported as artists in developing this project”.
“Feels Like Home” ★★★★ - Jazzwise magazine Editor’s Choice June 2024
Vasilis and Paul began playing together 20 years ago when both relocated to West London to study. Originally from Greece, Vasilis had just finished studying at Berklee College in the US, while Paul had moved South from the Northeast of England. In the intervening years, they’ve played numerous gigs together, releasing their debut album in 2016, A Narrow Escape, to critical acclaim. With Joel Barford (drums) and Adam King (double bass), their latest recording features original music inspired by the theme of ‘home’… Home in this sense represents not only the many places they’ve both lived, but also the people they’ve known along the way…
Line up:
Vasilis Xenopoulos - saxophone and flute
Paul Edis - piano
John Williamson - bass
Billy Pod – drums
Saxophonist, composer, and educator Vasilis Xenopoulos is one of the most accomplished Greek jazz musicians of his generation and a genuine representative of straight-ahead jazz. London became his permanent home after graduating with honours from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and gradually established himself as one of London’s up and coming jazz saxophonists. He has worked with some of the best musicians of the International Jazz Scene as a band leader, a section leader and as a guest soloist at various projects.
Vasilis’ charismatic performances reveal his truly fabulous style thus his energy and passion interact with his audience. With his great talent, love, and respect. he cherishes the instrument’s challenges and pushes it beyond. His credits also include seminars on Jazz Saxophone and Improvisation.
“One of the most fiery young saxophonists around blazes a path through the hard bop repertoire" – The Times
Paul Edis is one of the leading creative musicians in the UK today. As a performer, composer and educator, he has built a reputation for consistently delivering new and original ideas, seeking to innovate within his work whilst always paying respect to both the Jazz and Classical music traditions. In whatever genre or musical context he inhabits, Paul is passionate about melody and expression.
He has released several critically acclaimed recordings of new music in recent years, regularly receives commissions from a wide variety of organisations, and is known for his communication skills and breadth of knowledge, working as an educator for organisations including Sage Gateshead, National Youth Jazz Orchestra and National Youth Jazz Collective.
Paul has collaborated with saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos for 20 years, and he has performed alongside other leading jazz names including Jon Faddis, Alan Barnes, Bruce Adams, Nigel Price, Jim Mullen, Tim Garland, Julian Siegel, Tony Kofi, Steve Waterman, Iain Ballamy and Mark Nightingale. His music has been played on the radio in the UK, US and in Europe.
‘One of the leading lights of contemporary jazz’ - London Jazz News
Video 1 (“Fells Like Home – trailer”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY4xOgJ-MBE
Vasilis i Paul tak opisują muzykę na „Feels Like Home”: „Zakorzeniona w tradycji jazzowej, jest to muzyka eklektyczna, oparta na rytmie i zasadniczo melodyjna. Zawiera elementy hard bopu, latynoskiego jazzu, gospel, a nawet folku, są tu ukłony w stronę Dextera Gordona, Stanleya Turrentine’a, Johna Coltrane’a, Antonio Carlosa Jobima, Billa Evansa, Brada Mehldau, McCoya Tynera i nie tylko. To szczera, pełna emocji muzyka, inspirowana i zjednoczona wokół motywu przewodniego „domu”.
Dom w tym sensie reprezentuje nie tylko wiele miejsc, w których obydwaj mieszkali, ale także ludzi, których poznali po drodze…
„Feels Like Home” ★★★★ – wybór redakcji magazynu Jazzwise na płytę czerwca 2024 r.
Muzycy:
Vasilis Xenopoulos – saksofon i flet
Paweł Edis – fortepian
John Williamson – bas
Billy Pod – perkusja
Saksofonista, kompozytor i pedagog Vasilis Xenopoulos to jeden z najwybitniejszych greckich muzyków jazzowych swojego pokolenia i prawdziwy przedstawiciel straight-ahead jazzu.
„Jeden z najbardziej ognistych młodych saksofonistów w okolicy toruje drogę w repertuarze hard bopowym” – The Times
Paul Edis jest dziś jednym z czołowych kreatywnych muzyków w Wielkiej Brytanii.
„Jedno z czołowych świateł współczesnego jazzu” – London Jazz News
