“This is hard bop for today. Art Blakey delivered the message, Five-Way Split received it, decoded it and added their own stamp”
Bebop Spoken Here
Five-Way Split is a new jointly led band formed in 2020 featuring some of the finest contemporary bebop musicians in the UK. Five-Way Split is fronted by internationally renowned trumpet star Quentin Collins and Greek saxophone phenomenon Vasilis Xenopoulos, with the golden touch of pianist Rob Barron. Added to this are virtuosic bassist Mátyás Hofecker and rock-solid drummer Matt Home.
The band’s vision is to carry on the lineage of groups like Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers as well as mirroring the New York contemporary bop scene. From this inspiration, the band presents a sound that respects the tradition of the hard-bop era whilst also bringing it up to date for today’s audience. With an extensive repertoire of hip, swinging material by greats like Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton and Horace Silver, along with their carefully crafted and imaginative original compositions, Five-Way-Split delivers a night of the best swinging and soulful music.
Other press quotes:
Quentin Collins “Splendid” ★★★★★ – BBC Music Magazine.
Vasilis Xenopoulos “One of the most fiery young saxophonists around” ★★★★- The Times.
Rob Barron “Classic Jazz Piano at it’s best” 5/5– UK Vibe
“Five-Way Split – each member as formidable as the next” – London Jazz News
