1st Day: 4 June 2018
21:00 “Greek Jazz Virtuosos” | Athens Big Band feat. Dimitris Tsakas & Vassilis Xenopoulos
Artistic Director: Sami Amiris - The Athens Big Band was founded in 1998 at the initiative of the late pianist and conductor Giannis Terezakis. It has been one of the best and most completed jazz ensembles and since its foundation it has shown a significantly active presence, not only in the musical events of the City of Athens but all over the country. The musicians who form the Big Band are highly skilled and renowned for their skills in jazz improvisation and flexibility in interpreting all the different jazz musical styles of the band’s rich repertoire. Famous maestros and composers, such as William Russo and Don Owens have conducted the City of Athens Big Band, whereas many prominent International soloists have performed with the ensemble (Bobby Shew, Veronica Mortensen, Rex Richardson, Chico Freeman, Nils Landgren, Ralph Peterson Jr) as well as many Greek jazzmen. At this event, the Big Band will have as guest solists the outstanding saxophonists Dimitris Tsakas and Vassilis Xenopoulos in jazz compositions of their own.
22:00 Mihalis Kalkanis Live (Greece, promising ensemble)
Lefteris Andriotis (Cretan lyre), Manolis Giannikios (drums), Mihalis Kalkanis (double bass), Christos Kalkanis (clarinet), Orestis Mpenekas (piano, keyboard) The roots of his music can be found in moments of everyday life, which, after a certain process, become artistic masterpieces that follow their own path. Field recordings combined with electronic sounds, traditional pieces that are modified through improvisation, notes and sounds of the world transformed through an original jazz filter and many more that have been reflected to his recordings so far (Scarborough Tales in 2010, A Parking Lot Performance in 2012, World Echoes in Athens in 2015). Mihalis Kalkanis comes from a musical family whose roots spread from northern Greece to Asia Minor. As influenced by his origins as he may be, his own sound has a clear urban context, a combination that makes him one of the most aspiring and creative musicians of the new generation
23:00 John Balikos Trio (Greece)
John Balikos (composition), Takis Farazis (piano), Petros Varthakouris (double bass), Thanos Hatzianagnostou (drums) John Balikos is a very active composer, who has been living in Paros for many years, where he has been working both as a teacher and composer. He has written music for many plays and movies and has collaborated with some of the best Greek and international artists. In relation to jazz, his ensemble John Balikos Trio has had a great appeal since its establishment 6-7 years ago. Two albums have been released under this name so far (John Balikos Trio in 2012 and Rings around the moon in 2016) with beautiful music and a direction to the narrative and lyrical European jazz field, through which the beauty of life and a vastly rich emotional world emerges. John Balikos has been passing on the power and the beauty of his music to friends and partners, even though an accident has deprived him of being able to perform it on his own.
2nd Day: 5 June 2018
21:00 Ioannou/ Vafeas Quartet (Cyprus)
Charis Ioannou (saxophone), Ioannis Vafeas (drums), Dimitris Miaris (piano), Greg Makamian (double bass) The Ioannou / Vafeas Quartet was created in 2016 after many years of collaboration and friendship between the saxophonist CharisIoannou and the drummer Ioannis Vafeas. They are both graduates of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, holders of Master Degrees and members of the Faculty of the department of Music at the University of Nicosia. They count numerous participations in major Concert Halls, important Festivals and international stages around the world. Having a deep knowledge of the American jazz scene, they willpresent their new straight ahead jazz album entitled Bridge Of Locks accompanied by two very talented and promising jazz musicians.DimitrisMiaris on the piano (graduate of the Ionian University) and Greg Makamian on the double bass (graduate of the University of Nicosia). Bridge of Locks was released in April 2017.
22:00 Greg Lamy Quartet (Luxembourg)
Greg Lamy (guitar), Gautier Laurent (double bass), Johannes Muller (saxophone), Jean-Marc Robin (drums) Greg Lamy was born in New Orleans; however he lives and works in Luxembourg and Brussels, where he studied classic and electric guitar at the end of the 1980s and specialized in the jazz style. He also studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, as many musicians of his generation. In 2001, he formed the Greg Lamy Quartet which is located in Belgium. Its repertoire consists of jazz standards and personal arrangements of Greg Lamy whose approach is based on a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition, performed with an exceptional feeling. Greg Lamy Quartet continues to grow predominantly and keeps on performing in many clubs and European festivals.
23:00 Accordi e Disaccordi (Italy)
Alessandro Di Virgilio (guitar), Dario Berlucchi (guitar), Elia Lasorsa (double bass) The band was formed 6 years ago with a swing and gipsy jazz style, which can be very demanding as far as performance is concerned. The guitarists Alessandro Di Virgilio and Dario Berlucchi, with the help and contribution of bassist Elia Lasorsa, not only did they manage to bring out their own quality within the classic Django Reinhard manouche style but also by adding their own personal character, their original compositions enriched this popular yet overused genre. Accordi e Disaccordi have formed their own “hot italian style” and within a few years they have won the stage with a plethora of festival shows and three marvelous albums (Bouncing Vibes, Swing Avenue, Live Tracks) that seal the group’s special identity.
3rd Day: 6 June 2018
21:00 Drifter (Belgium)
Nicolas Kummert (saxophone, vocals), Alexi Tuomarila (piano, moog), Axel Gilain (bass, vocals, guitar), Teun Verbruggen (drums, live electronics) This group is the reformation of the quartet of the Finnish pianist Alexi Tuomarila, a famous musician of the European jazz scene who is based in Belgium and is very well-known in our country, as he has previously performed in Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival. This quartet had been performing all over the world -Europe, Australia, Japan etc.- for 20 years before making a pause. The reformation of the group, under the new name Drifter, led to a remarkable album (Flow) in 2015 leaving the audience with a sense of creatively exploring new limits of their music. The use of vocals, guitar and electronic elements brings a new style to the group’s music with the combination of freshness and precious creative experience of the past.
22:00 All Too human (Denmark)
Peter Bruun (drums, bass), Simon Toldam (keyboard), Marc Ducret (electric guitar), Kasper Tranberg (trumpet) The paradoxical of this ensemble is that its music sounds simple without being simple and it can take you to unknown places without it being unknown. It has a fairy tale essence- and in fairy tales, many marvelous things can happen. The Danish drummer Peter Bruun formed this group by gathering experienced musicians who know how to improvise- in jazz, rock, new and no wave fields- without putting limits to their creativity. Their album Vernacular Avant-garde was recorded in Copenhagen a year ago and it combines the familiar with the unexpected while transferring us to wondrous worlds.
23:00 Sebastian Studnitzky “MEMENTO” orchestral experience (Germany)
Sebastian Studnitzky (trumpet & piano), Paul Kleber (double bass), Tim Sarhan (drums), Olga Holdorff (violin), Katharina Landsberg (violin), Leila Weber (viola), Cornelia Jambrowicz (cello) The trumpeter and pianist Sebastian Studnitzky is a special figure of German’s modern jazz scene – and a lot more. As a matter of fact, he is a musician who can easily maneuver through the various fields of jazz, classical and electronic music thus creating new music which stands out for its detailed perfection and minimal grace while it touches pop and jazz perspectives, as modern as they can get, without being consumed by an avant-garde approach. That is the very reason why Studnitzky’s music fits with every trend of the German nu jazz – groovy, instrumental, dance electronica etc. The “MEMENTO” project is his fascinating journey in the field of classical and jazz aesthetics, with a strings ensemble accompanying his trumpet and piano in perfectly narrative and deeply touching compositions – music that has already set him in very high level
4th Day: 7 June 2018
21:00 Enriquito Trio (Spain)
Enrique Rodriguez “Enriquito” (trumpet), José Manuel Ruiz “Bandolero” (percussions), Francisco Soto (guitar) One of the best modern representatives of a jazz “school” that has in so many years found its own way in the European’s music diversity. We are talking about the Spanish jazz which is quite eloquently characterized as flamenco jazz and we refer to the trumpeter Enrique Rodriguez or Enriquito. His music is based upon the lessons of historical musicians of Spanish jazz, such as the saxophonist Pedro Iturralde or the younger Jorge Pardo, mixing the temperament and the aroma of the flamenco with other Latin-based mixtures and the creative jazz know-how, proving this way the continuity of his country’s jazz tradition. Here, Enriquito will present his latest album called Contrarre loj – which stands for “chasing time”! – A great sample of modern flamenco jazz and more
22:00 Milan Svoboda Quartet (Czech Republic)
Milan Krajíc (tenor and soprano saxophone), Milan Svoboda (piano, keyboards), Filip Spálený (bass), Ivan Audes (drums) Milan Svoboda is a leading and historic figure for the Czech jazz scene. He has carved his own path as a pianist, composer, conductor and teacher in Czechoslovakia, and later Czech Republic. His jazz quartet is one of his main activities. Its lineup features some excellent musicians and its music is based on the 60s and 70s jazz, already having a strong musical identity through a 35-year-old career. The group’s repertoire consists of Milan Svoboda’s original compositions with a wide range of musical influences, from rock to classical music. The Quartet has frequently performed with top musicians such as Tony Lakatos or Jiri Stivin.
23:00 Under the Surface (Netherlands)
JoostLijbaart (drums, percussions), Saane Rambags (vocals), Bram Stadhouders (guitar, electronics) It’s a new group that has been created by the drummer Joost Lijbaart – known collaborator of the also known to us saxophonist Yuri Honing – and reflects the mixture of artists of different “generations” in the modern Dutch music scene. Hence, in their first album under the title Under the Surface, a Dutch jazz veteran collaborates with a modern improviser guitarist and a young singer who not only improvises vocally but also knows how to deliver her own scripts and lyrics in a musical way, equivalent to the way the other two musicians improvise. The result is an open, mystical, poetic music that breaks free from labels and targets solely the feeling.
5th Day: 8 June 2018
21:00 Woody Black 4 (Austria)
Daniel Mosser (bass clarinet), Leonhard Skorupa (bass clarinet), Stephan Dickbauer (clarinet), Oscar Antoli (clarinet, bass clarinet) Even if, in modern jazz, we may encounter various combinations of instruments, four clarinets – three of which are bass! – is something unusual. So is the Woody Black 4’s approach to practicing jazz. The four clarinetists draw from its tradition, having mainly as a role model the bass clarinet pioneer, Eric Dolphy, but at same time staying close to the folk music – those of Central Europe and of the Balkans in particular – or classical music. They usually lay themselves on the beauty and the harmony of jazz or classical music but also turn to the creative improvising dynamics. Woody Black 4, based at Vienna, is about four virtuosos clarinetists who are happy to experiment and flirt with the avant-garde whilst creating beautiful and mesmerizing music right from the modern jazz tradition.
22:00 Moncef Genoud (Switzerland)
Moncef Genoud (solo piano) Moncef Genoud was born in Tunisia – blind by birth. At two years of age, on his way to Switzerland to receive treatment, he was adopted by a Swiss family and since then, music became Moncef’s path. Possessing remarkable auditory memory, he started receiving piano lessons and got into jazz from the age of six. As he grew, he became one of the most outstanding Swiss jazzmen and, since 1983, he has collaborated with many “passing” American jazz musicians. With his trio he has traveled and performed all around the globe – having worked with great musicians such as Youssou N’Dour with whom they have become close friends. Moncef Genoud’s record productions and live performances are met with honors. In his more recent album with his trio, titled Pop Songs, he covers Hendrix, Police, Nirvana, Doors etc.
23:00 Theo Croker (USA)
Theo Croker (trumpet), Anthony Ware (saxophone & flute), Michael King (keys), Eric Wheeler (double bass), Kassa Overall (drums) Having jazz origins from his mother’s side, as his grandfather is the legendary trumpeter of traditional jazz Doc Chetham, Theo has an inherent improvisational spirit that characterizes this music, whereas his style can be described as modern jazz and contemporary funk. As a trumpeter, he is influenced by Donald Byrd, yet his own groove has to do with a rock, blues, salsa, hip hop fusion and therefore is closer to a 21st century sound than a 70s soul jazz. His evolution as a trumpet player and a creative musician can be easily seen in his albums Fundamentals (2006), In the Tradition (2009), Afro Physicist (2014) and Escape Velocity (2016)-in the last two of his albums he has collaborated with the famous singer Dee Dee Bridgewater.
6th Day: 9 June 2018
21:00 Espen Berg Trio (Norway)
Espen Berg (piano), Bardur Reinert Poulsen (double bass), Simon Albertsen (drums) Following Scandinavia’s rich jazz tradition, Espen Berg Trio walks onto a path which is already internationally accepted and also a powerful chapter of international jazz. Their music is melodic with special rhythmic peaks, narrative and powerful, sealed by the trio’s extremely ingenious improvising style of play. With young, but already seasoned musicians, the trio is considered as one of the most special small ensembles of Norwegian jazz scene, having quite enough distinctions in its resume. Espen Berg Trio’s second album, titled Bolge, was released last year by the Japanese company Blue Gleam and internationally two months ago by Odin Records. It is an album that demonstrates vividly the Espen Berg Trio’s musical and creative virtues.
22:00 Brightbird (Portugal)
João Paulo Esteves da Silva (piano), Mário Franco (double bass), Samuel Rohrer (drums) A trio that can operate in a wide musical range using as a vessel the modern jazz or chamber jazz, possessing musicians who know all too well the esthetic idiomatic balance and the controlled improvising musical action. Having a fully interconnected understanding, the three musicians create their own musical universe through collective action. There are distinct elements of fado and folk music in general that shape Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva’ jazz and classical piano style upon which bass player Mario Franco and Swiss citizen of the world drummer Samuel Rohrer can build their own sturdy structures, presenting us with a music which transcends national or any other boundaries and speaks directly to our senses. This is what makes Brightbird a special trio.
23:00 Peedu Kass Momentum (Estonia)
Peedu Kass (double bass), Kristjan Randalu (piano), Toomas Rull (drums) A modern trio follows faithfully the modern European jazz tradition – especially the direction cultivated through the ever influential Scandinavian “school”. With Peedu Kass as their leader followed by two other experienced and outstanding musicians of the Estonian jazz scene, pianist Kristjan Randalu and drummer Toomas Rull, both of the latter having been distinguished through international collaborations and participation in festivals, the group sets its own artistic identity with the release of their first album titled Peedu Kass Momentum in 2016. Modern jazz, lyrical, narrative, adventurous, skillful, dreamy – that is music with all the quality anyone expects by a today’s creative European jazz trio
7th Day: 10 June 2018
21:00 Mihaly Borbely Quartet (Hungary)
Mihály Borbély (saxophones, tárogató, flutes), Áron Tálas (piano), Balázs Horváth (bass), Hunor G. Szabó (drums) He is a great woodvind player and particularly experienced not only in traditional and world music but in jazz and contemporary music as well. He also has an exceptional group, where he can fully express himself and create modern music influenced by the European swing which has been developing for years in a central European country that has its own jazz identity and tradition combined with a Balkan touch. So, having his own straight international jazz sound, Mihaly Borbely’s Quartet has been releasing beautiful contemporary jazz albums for the last 15 years (Meselia Hill, Homage a Kodaly, Hungarian Jazz Rhapsody, Be by Me Tonight) which have an international presence as well as the group which stands out for its live performances in the European festivals and jazz clubs.
22:00 Isabella Lundgren & Carl Bagge Trio (Sweden)
Isabella Lundgren (vocals), Carl Bagge (piano), Niklas Fernkvist (bass), Daniel Fredriksson (drums) Isabella Lundgren is one of the most special jazz singers of Sweden. The quality of her voice and the way she performs has led many people to believe that it’s about time she replaced Monica Zetterlund in this tradition’s top position. However, Isabella Lundgren, through her four albums (It Had to Be You, Somehow Life Got in the Way, Isabella Sings the Treasures of Harold Arlen, Songs to Watch the Moon) seems to focus on classic American jazz standards and blues, following the steps of acclaimed singers such as Billie Holiday and Anita O’ Day. Isabella studied this big jazz tradition in New York before returning to Sweden and starting her own artistic path which is already highly successful.
23:00 Binker & Moses (UK)
Binker Golding (tenor saxophone), Moses Boyd (drums) This is one of the most dynamic and creative ensembles of the new generation of the modern British jazz scene. The saxophonist Binker Golding and the drummer Moses Boyd are musicians that are influenced by the richness of the 60s jazz, the hard bop and the free jazz and thus are creating their own esthetics in today’s plethora of different musical sounds. One can hear a saxophone that reminds us the historic sound of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins and a drum set that goes beyond time limits, creating a true musical ritual. Having two magnificent albums (Dem Ones and Journey to the Mountain of Forever) and a third one (Children of the Ultra Blacks) on the production, Binker & Moses’ music is the best example of the creative status and high quality artistic level of the contemporary British jazz.