Xero Slingsby

Xero Slingsby, born Matthew Coe, was an extraordinary jazz musician. He has been compared to John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix – but his style was always very much his own. A style that's difficult to define - jazz, beat, free jazz, jazz-punk? It's music that isn't easily pigeonholed - and that's probably why it still sounds fresh, new and relevant 30-odd years after it was made in the 1980s. It was music that asked questions, but never felt contrived. Tracks were short, punchy and punky. Live performances were full of energy, wit and enough presence to make the most casual gig-goer sit up and take notice. 

Xero Slingsby died in 1988, just as Xero Slingsby and the Works were making a name for themselves in the jazz scene in the UK and Europe.

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