VASILIS XENOPOULOS - Take Five No: 65
Can you tell us about your new album and concert dates?
My new album is called “Dexterity” and it’s my third album as a band leader. It celebrates the music and spirit of Dexter Gordon. It features Gordon’s original compositions, classic jazz standards played ‘Dexter-style’, and a couple of Xenopoulos’ own Dexter-influenced compositions.Dexter Gordon was one of the most iconic figures in jazz history and a true heavyweight of the tenor saxophone. His powerful tone and unique ability to create melodic lines influenced many saxophonists around the world and still do to this day.I can easily say that he was my first big hero of the tenor saxophone and the impact of his music on me goes way back to when I was still a teenager. His 1962 recording ‘Go!' was the first of many in my record collection and, to this day, I can still sing along to all the solos from that album with the same enthusiasm I had as a kid. In the following years, there have inevitably been other influences on my playing, but Dexter remains my top inspiration when it comes to tone and melodic development. This project has been a long time coming for me and I hope you will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it in the studio."
We’ve got a series of gigs around the UK in the next 10 weeks. Please visit this link on my website for all the info at https://vasilisxenopoulos.com/new-events
What other projects are you currently involved in?
This season I also have some scheduled but more sporadic appearances with the XPQ (Xenopoulos/Price Quartet) which is a band I co lead with guitarist Nigel Price and also with the Tenor Madness band next to the heavyweight UK saxophonists Alan Barnes and Derek Nash.
My new album is called “Dexterity” and it’s my third album as a band leader. It celebrates the music and spirit of Dexter Gordon. It features Gordon’s original compositions, classic jazz standards played ‘Dexter-style’, and a couple of Xenopoulos’ own Dexter-influenced compositions.Dexter Gordon was one of the most iconic figures in jazz history and a true heavyweight of the tenor saxophone. His powerful tone and unique ability to create melodic lines influenced many saxophonists around the world and still do to this day.I can easily say that he was my first big hero of the tenor saxophone and the impact of his music on me goes way back to when I was still a teenager. His 1962 recording ‘Go!' was the first of many in my record collection and, to this day, I can still sing along to all the solos from that album with the same enthusiasm I had as a kid. In the following years, there have inevitably been other influences on my playing, but Dexter remains my top inspiration when it comes to tone and melodic development. This project has been a long time coming for me and I hope you will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it in the studio."
We’ve got a series of gigs around the UK in the next 10 weeks. Please visit this link on my website for all the info at https://vasilisxenopoulos.com/new-events
What other projects are you currently involved in?
This season I also have some scheduled but more sporadic appearances with the XPQ (Xenopoulos/Price Quartet) which is a band I co lead with guitarist Nigel Price and also with the Tenor Madness band next to the heavyweight UK saxophonists Alan Barnes and Derek Nash.
Click on the album cover to read our review
What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
Needlesss to say that I’m revisiting a lot of my Dexter Gordon old recordings as I’d like to be in the right mindset for all my upcoming gigs. However the last album I have downloaded is “We used to dance” by Joel Frahm.
What is your all time favourite album and why?
A: That’s a tough one but I’ll give you a quick top 5. Blue train/John Coltrane, Go/Dexter Gordon, Sonny Side Up /(Gillespie,Stitt,Rollins), Soul Station/Hank Mobley, Somethin’ Else/Cannonball Adderley
Who has caught your attention recently that we should be listening out for?
I recently did a gig with a young pianist from Hungary called Mátyás Gayer and was really impressed. Definitely check him out of you see his name around!
Needlesss to say that I’m revisiting a lot of my Dexter Gordon old recordings as I’d like to be in the right mindset for all my upcoming gigs. However the last album I have downloaded is “We used to dance” by Joel Frahm.
What is your all time favourite album and why?
A: That’s a tough one but I’ll give you a quick top 5. Blue train/John Coltrane, Go/Dexter Gordon, Sonny Side Up /(Gillespie,Stitt,Rollins), Soul Station/Hank Mobley, Somethin’ Else/Cannonball Adderley
Who has caught your attention recently that we should be listening out for?
I recently did a gig with a young pianist from Hungary called Mátyás Gayer and was really impressed. Definitely check him out of you see his name around!
