Rising tenor saxophone star Vasilis Xenopoulos is bringing his quintet to Pinder Hall for an evening of modern jazz. The hall will be arranged in cabaret style to enable patrons to bring their own food. Drinks will be available from the bar. The evening will be compèred by local jazz trombonist Clive Burton. Tickets £8
Vasilis Xenopoulos The Vasilis Xenopoulos Quintet are one of the most in-demand young bands in the London area with regular appearances in many prime venues. They are a dynamic quintet inspired by legendary American combos of the late 50s/early 60s. With a great selection of Blue Note classics and originals composed exclusively for the Festival, miss them at your peril!
Vasilis's playing has a richness and maturity to it that belies his years. Here's a player not blindly wedded to the Be-Bop "the more notes the better" credo but who can change pace and rhythm to hold the listener's attention as he did in Dexter Gordon's upbeat Fried Bananas or the ballad My One and Only Love.
If Jim is one of the Kings of Jazz in this country, Vasilis is certainly a Crown Prince waiting in the wings.
Ian Berrido
Watford Observer 18th Feb 08
Vasilis was born in Athens, Greece where he had his first musical training at the age of 10, on piano and clarinet. In 1999 he graduated from Phillipos Nakas Conservatory in Athens as a saxophonist, while he had already won a scolarship for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston MA.
After his graduation in 2001, he moved permanently to England and West London. He is a member of the Sound of 17 Big Band, and Eddie Harvey's quintet with many appeareances around London. Vasilis formed his trio in 2002, which has now been upgraded to a quartet.
