Emmanuel joined Dimitrios Vassilakis quartet in 1993 at the age of 15, establishing him self as a kid prodigy to the professional Greek music scene. Joining Takis Barberis band in 1997 gave Saridakis his first recording experience when he participated on Barberis’ Naiva CD. Released in 1998, Naiva was on the top of the charts in Greece.
In 1999 Emmanuel joined Mode Plagal. This experimental group combines the traditional music of Northern Greece with elements of African American music. The band created a new “mainstream” on the Greek music scene that received recognition not only all over Greece, but also in other countries in Europe, Asia, and America. They received 5 snares in “Modern Drummer” for the first CD. The 2nd CD was voted 96 on the World Music Charts in Europe for 2000, and the 3rd CD has reached the Top 20’s of the charts in Greece, and was voted No 13 in the Top 20 of the WMCE (World Music Charts Europe) in March 2002, and No 33 in the TOP 100 for the Year 2002.
During that time Emmanuel participates also on Dimitris Vassilakis “Daedalus Project-Labyrinth”. This album was album of the month for the BBC music magazine March 2002 and was voted 2nd jazz album of the year 2002 at the BBC Internet poll.
In 2001 he moves to N.Y.C. were he works as a sideman in the local jazz scene and in 2006 he was selected in the top 25 best jazz piano players under the age of thirty in the prestigious Thelonious Monk international jazz piano competition.
Emmanuel has also recorded and/or performed with America Jazz & Rock artist such us: David Liebman (sop. sax), Mark Johnson (bass ), Ralph Peterson (drums), Jamey Haddad (drums, percussion), Melissa Slocum (bass), Essiet Essiet (bass) Ron McClure ( bass ) Satoshi Takesi ( drums, perc. ) Bill Derby (guitar), Todd Isler (drums), Kenny Rampton (Trumpet), Lily White (sax) Andrea Valentini (drums), Bud Maltin Orchestra, Vali Music and European artists, Bulgarian master of kaval Theodosii Spassov, Kostas Anastasiadis ( drums), Petros Loukas Halkias (Clarinet), Savina Gianatou (Vocals) Kostas Theodorou (bass), Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Yiota Vei, Dimitris Basis, Theodosia Tsatsou, Arleta, Sotiria Leonardou, etc.
He has been seen in festivals, concert halls, clubs and in Private Functions such as Birdland, Blue Note, Yale University, Smoke, Cleopatras Needle, Onassis Foundation, World Yacht Club, The Princeton Club, The Penn Club, NYC Athletic Club, The Hilton Hotel, The Marriott Hotel, The Pier Hotel, The Skyline Club at Met Life Building, Barbican (UK), Athens Concert Hall (GR) , 1st and 2nd ETHNIC-JAZZ festival in Athens (2000-1),
NATIONAL PERCUSSION FESTIVAL, Half Note Jazz Club, Parafono, Diogenis Pallas, Iera Odos , Sfedona, Hi-Hat, Bebop, President Hotel, Intercontinetal Hotel, etc.
“Saridakis solo’s have clear compositional direction with energy and attention focused on particular figures and developments. It was as if the clouds had parted, and the scene was suddenly visible and compelling.”Live at Birdland NY “NEW YORK PRESS” -Jim Eigo