Feels Like Home Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis

• 1Going Home05:48
• 2The Coast06:32
• 3Lockdown London05:59
• 4Coming Home To You06:20
• 5Memories Of Home05:22
• 6Get Off My Lawn04:14
• 7From Something To Somewhere06:34
• 8Mikey's Samba04:16
• Total Runtime45:05

Info for Feels Like Home

Leading British jazz label Ubuntu Music’s latest upcoming offering is a celebration of the multi-cultural melting pot that is London’s vibrant jazz scene. With a history spanning Greece, the USA, and the UK, saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos and pianist Paul Edis’ upcoming record is a musical reflection of the paths and relationships their lives in music have led them on.

Vasilis and Paul began playing together 20 years ago when both relocated to West London to study. Originally from Greece, Xenopoulos had just finished studying at Berklee College in the US, while Edis had moved South from the Northeast of England.

In the intervening years, they’ve played numerous shows together, releasing their debut album ‘A Narrow Escape’ in 2016 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 not only represents the many places they’ve both lived, but also the people they’ve known along the way.

The duo 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’.”

Vasilis Xenopoulos, tenor and soprano saxophone, flute
Paul Edis, piano
Joel Barford, drums
Adam King, double bass

Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis
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.

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 honors 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.

In 2009 he formed “The Xtet" and their debut album “Loud City" containing 8 original compositions was released on 33Jazz Records in 2011. Two years later he released his second album “The Wind Machine" under the same label, which gained some fine reviews in the top British media such as The Times and BBC radio 3.

In 2017 Nigel Price and Xenopoulos created the XPQ (Xenopoulos/Price Quartet) and recorded their first album under that brand, “Sidekicks" which celebrates some of the most successful guitar/sax pairings in the history of jazz.

The Guardian praised him recently for being one of the leading examples of European jazz musicians who live and perform in Britain and bringing his continental element to the jazz scene. Further to that Vasilis has permanent collaborations with artists from Greece and Cyprus where he performs as a leader or guest artist on a regular basis. As a result he is permanently active in three different scenes/markets (British, Greek and Cypriot).

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.

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.

As well as leading his own sextet, trio and performing solo engagements, Paul works regularly with vocalist Jo Harrop. Their album ‘When Winter Turns To Spring’ won Best Album at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2023.

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.

‘A major voice in British Jazz…Edis is an incredibly fertile composer and improviser’ - Jazz Journal

‘A pianist who has compositional flair’ - Jazzwise

‘One of the leading lights of contemporary jazz’ - London Jazz News

This album contains no booklet.