Award winning Leeds jazz/experimental bass player/composer/bandleader
Fergus Quill releases his fourth album on 23rd November via Tight Lines Records. After two albums with his trio plus one with his big band, featuring mainly original music written by Fergus, this new release will be his first recording entirely made up of someone else's compositions. "Up Yours : Fergus Quill Plays Xero Slingsby" is a musical homage to the Leeds alt-jazz pioneer of the 1980s, alto saxophonist Xero Slingsby (Matthew Coe), and his band The Works (bass player Louis Colan, drummer Gene Velocette).

Xero was active in the local Leeds alternative and jazz music scenes from the late 1970s and formed The Works in 1983. They immediately built up a strong loyal following in Leeds and the North of England with their unique brand of "no categories" improvised music which brought together their mutual love for jazz, punk, funk, rock & roll, blues and TV soundtracks, all tied up with a huge dose of northern working class humour. Xero was also a prolific busker/street musician who was prosecuted many times in the UK as street performances were still considered a nuisance by many local councils. He challenged every arrest and court appearance and became a one-man buskers' rights champion. .
On mainland Europe Xero and the band regularly toured the jazz and contemporary music circuit, widening their fan base to audiences in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and France.

The band recorded two albums - "Shove It" (1985) and "Up Down" (1986) - and seemed to be on the cusp of reaching a wider audience when Xero was diagnosed with brain cancer. He continued playing even when undergoing treatment for the disease but sadly in 1988, he passed away. He was only 30 years old.



Fergus Quill heard about Xero Slingsby a few years ago, was fascinated by the man's story and fell in love with his music. It was in the same vein and spirit as the music Fergus was making and playing but Xero and The Works had produced their music over 30 years before. He felt a kinship with Xero and wanted to make an album of his compositions as a homage to him but also to join the dots between the original Leeds alt-jazz pioneer and the vibrant DIY jazz/improvised music scene in the city today. With the blessing of Xero's widow Sally Coe, Who kindly provided some of Xero’s original homemade instruments for the session, this project finally came to life in spring/summer 2023.

Fergus transcribed and then arranged some of his favorite tracks from the two albums by The Works. He pulled together a band of musicians who he felt had the same fire and spirit as Xero and The Works, they had one rehearsal and then a marathon live recording session (often just 1 or 2 takes each track), and at the end of it, "Up Yours : Fergus Quill Plays Xero Slingsby" was born.




The album is out at midnight on 23.11.2023 and will be available as a digital release only (for now). The official album launch party will be at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds on 23.11.2023 (7.30-11pm) and will feature the quartet plus some very special guest artists. Support comes from master jazz/improvised music pianist Matthew Bourne, a lifelong fan of Xero Slingsby, who will be doing a solo set early doors. Tickets from Seetickets : bit.ly/FergusQuillXeroSlingsby - book them asap as the capacity of the venue is just 150. This show will sell out.