Harris Lambrakis Trio
The trio is based on the nay virtuoso Harris Lambrakis. Ney is a long traditional woodwind with ancient origin (particularly Arabian). The trio was formed in 2006 and has participated in numerous concerts and festivals.
Dionysis Boukouvalas
Dionysis Boukouvalas is engaged in performance, composition and improvisation from the beginning of his musical studies. Improvisation is a union of composition (in real time) and performance. Inversely, composition can be a form of improvisation (in dilated time). In extreme cases, a whole work can be improvised, before getting written in score (as in the notable examples of Chopin, Gershwin, etc).
Moreover, it is well-known that Mozart played his concerts as a soloist before transcribing the piano part (the cadenza always being improvised, at least at that time). Trying to play a song on the piano one has to improvise, since there is no unique way of doing it, and personal taste inevitably takes place, while the performance can be accompanied with new elements each time.
An extreme case is the improvisation without a given material, where the theme of the improvisation is in effect the mood of the moment. This reminds us of the famous long developments of Keith Jarrett. Finally, improvisation (as jazz music generally) can have many influencies, from avant-garde classic to rock.
This is one of its charms, i.e. its open character, adapted to moment, which in turn shapes the mood of the performer, generating different ideas each time, depending on the place, the sight, the time, the circumstance etc (something that the musicians of India know very well, with their ragas being dependent on the time of the year and day).
George Kontrafouris Baby Trio
Baby Trio was created so as to convey the naivety, the teenage enthusiasm and all the things that electrify a young musician when he is only starting out to play music with a group where its members are his friends.
This debut version of the Baby Trio features two very young and remarkably talented musicians: Alexandros Vichos (guitar) and Vangelis Kotzabasis (drums), that have a lot to offer in the future. To put it all in a phrase, the Baby Trio comprises all the “non-realistic expectations” that arise before “normal life” begins.
George Kontrafouris
Grigoris Ntanis – Loukia Palaiologou
Giorgos Danis and Loukia Palaiologou are the heart of the Brazz group, which presents one of the most melodic musical idioms in jazz, the Brazilian bossa nova.
The basis of the repertoire is the work of the composer Antonio Carlos Jobim who made bossa nova famous all over the world. Its main sound focuses on the melodic singing and warm chords of the classical guitar with an avid improvisational mood.
They also intend to project the less known compositions of A.C. Jobim as well as other important Brazilian artists such as Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimento.
Grigoris Ntanis: Guitar
Loukia Palaiologou: Voice
Yiannis Papanastassiou Mainstream Quartet
Yiannis Papanastassiou Quartet uses the jazz language and improvisation to play tunes from the hardbop period of the 50’s and 60’s characterized by spontaneity and refined modernity. This produces a really energetic music full of energy, dynamics, melody and groove.
Yiannis Papanastassiou
Kostas Yaxoglou
Periclis Trivolis
Thanos Hatzianagnostou
CLTrio
CLTrio was formed in Amsterdam by Spanish piano player / composer Cesar Latorre, Greek double bass player Petros Klampanis and Latvian drummer Artis Orubs, and has been active since 2005.
The band has performed in Poland, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands.
The trio was awarded at the YPF Jazz Competition in Amsterdam in January 2007, being on the jury important musicians as Enrico Pieranunzi or John Taylor among others.
In September 2008 CLTrio was awarded again with the 2nd prize at the prestigious Hoeilaart Competition, in Belgium.
On January 2007 the trio recorded their first CD Akiaka.
In March 2008 they recorded a new CD with original material. Modern jazz, romanticism and freedom of performance are the characteristics of this new European piano trio.
Cesar Latorre: Piano, keyboards
Petros Klampanis: Double bass, loops
Artis Orubs: Drums
Outward Bound
Working on its members’ compositions, the ensemble aims at creating free forms, open with regard to the time and density of music development.
The instruments’ joint function relies less on the rhythmic or motivic activity of the musicians and more on the simultaneous diverse approach of a composition by each musician.
The compositions of the ensemble are formative rather than melodic or harmonic. Emotional expression is replaced by psychological variations, through the alternation of urban and natural music environments.
Yiannis Iliakis: Drums
Dimitris Neonakis: Guitar
Antonis Tsikandilakis: Piano
Poly Quartet
Four Greek musicians meet each other in Holland where they study jazz music.
They work with various “multi-ethnic” groups for about three years until they form Poly Quartet, centred on compositions of Andreas Polyzogopoulos. Perfumed Dreams (Puzzlemusik, 2008) is an ensemble of nine compositions inspired by the Mediterranean aromas and the tone-colours of Northern Europe, sketching out the dreams that impassion our life, the dreams that enable us to believe in utopias...
Andreas Polyzogopoulos: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, electronics
Vasilis Stefanopoulos: Double bass, bass guitar
Sotiris Ntouvas: Drums, percussion.
Trioism
Three musicians, two coming from the island of Zakynthos, Greece, and one from Lisbon, Portugal, express their personal musical ideas in a multi-colour canvas.
Piano, double bass and drums engage in a musical dialogue that every time ends in a different, unpredictable way.
Highly energetic moments of sharp sound are followed by lyrical melodies and sounds fragile to the limit of silence.
The group's repertory consists mainly of original compositions, jazz standards and arrangements of songs from the Greek musical culture.
Trioism was formed on 1999 in Athens, Greece, by drummer and journalist Zak Samouil and pianist Spyros Manesis.
Double bassist Petros Klampanis joined in 2003. Together they developed a sound based on the simultaneous improvisation and the lyricism of the melodic lines.
Manesis and Klampanis moved to Amsterdam, Holland, in 2006, where they collaborated with three drummers: Luca Marini (Italy), Andreas Pichler (Austria) and Gustavo Grajales Nandayapa (Mexico).
A subsequent album was released by ANKh music productions.
Since 2007 the steady drummer of the group is Rui Miguel Ramos Pereira (Portugal) and together they have toured in Portugal, Greece, USA and China..
Spyros Manesis: Piano
Petros Klampanis: Double bass
Rui Rui Miguel Ramos Pereira: Drums
