FOUGARO JAZZ FESTIVAL #1
4 ensembles, 16 top musicians
in a top-quality programme from traditional jazz to its latest forms.
In a dynamic contribution to cultural affairs, Fougaro institutes the annual Fougaro Jazz Festival starting this year with two nights dedicated to the music of free expression.
In an expression of its deep love for a unique genre of music which has conquered the world, Fougaro hosts for two days, on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 October, four top Greek quartets which have earned their place in the history of the jazz scene.
The quartets of Haris Lambrakis, Τakis Barberis, Lefteris Christofis and Yorgos Trantalidis will fill Fougaro with their beat and harmony and take us on a melodious journey, starting from the American South of last century and stopping in Europe, the Near East, India and Australia.
The improvisations and classic jazz tunes by 16 virtuosos will fill Nafplio for two nights, providing the public of Fougaro with an authentic taste from the cosmopolitan and bohemian universe of jazz!
For two day we shall be able to enjoy selected jazz tunes from the international discography. Moreover, for vinyl lovers the experience from the Festival will be accompanied by and exhibition of Vintage Jazz Vinyl Covers.
The Art director of the Fougaro Jazz Festival #1 is Haris Kavadias, and the idea is to make this an institution and a point of reference for lover of Jazz and beyond.
""Jazz is freedom" " Thelonious Monk
Admission to the Festival is free
Programme
FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER
19.00 – 20.30: Selected international albums
20.30 – 21.30: HARIS LAMBRAKIS QUARTET
22.00 – 23.00: TAKIS BARBERIS GROUP
23.00 – 01.00: Selected international albums (Big Bands)
SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER
19.00 – 20.30: Selected international albums
20.30 – 21.30: LEFTERIS CHRISTOFIS GROUP
22.00 – 23.00: GEORGE TRANTALIDIS SPECIAL QUARTET
23.00 – 01.00: Selected international albums (Jazz Swing)
The exhibition of Vintage Jazz Vinyl Covers will be accessible throughout the duration of the festival.
George Trantalidis Special Quartet
Yorgos Trantalidis (drums) - Pantelis Benetatos (piano) - Yiotis Samaras (guitar) - Periklis Trivolis (bass)
Composer, producer and drummer Yorgos Trantalidis, a member of Socrates and Sphinx, has recorded 8 internationally acclaimed albums. He was the first to "marry" traditional Greek music with jazz, which led to participations in international jazz festivals. He ran the radio show Jazz in ERA 2, and in 2004 he participated as composer and orchestrator in the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.
Yiotis Samaras, who studied at the Bela Bartok Conservatoire, was a member of Page One and is seen as one of the country's top Jazz guitarists, with many international distinctions.
Pianist Pantelis Benetatos has played with many ensembles, and since 1994 he teaches jazz piano. Periklis Trivolis studied music theory, harmony and electric bass and continued with jazz composition and double bass at the Berkley College of Music in Boston.
Haris Lambrakis Quartet
Haris Lambrakis (ney) - Nikos Sidirokastritis (drums) - Dimitris Theocharis (piano) - Dimitris Tsekouras (bass)
Haris Lambrakis, a graduate of the Dept of Music Studies of the University of Athens and PhD candidate in ethnomusicology, has been a member of Primavera El Salonico and Occasional Dream. Since 1999 he teaches ney at the National Conservatoire and has collaborated with distinguished musicians on concerts in Greece and abroad.
Drummer Nikos Sidirokastritis ranks among the top, with a presence in album recording since the late '80s.
Pianist Dimitris Theocharis is a highly skilled and imaginative performer, and bass player Dimitris Tsekouras is seen as the future of the instrument in Greece. In the 12th European Jazz Festival the quartet won the critics. award.
Lefteris Christofis Group
Lefteris Christofis (guitars) - Jacques Marugg (vibraphone) - Andreas Kostopoulos (bass) - Nikos Touliatos (drums)
Lefteris Christofis has been described by Benedetto Guitars as one of the top guitarists in Europe. His latest album, "Nous Icons", was launched by the legendary Blue Note Records, and he has worked with Chico Freeman, Paul Wertico, Jeff Berlin, Howard Paul, and others. His approach to composing goes beyond jazz and fusion and stands out for his lyrical improvisations, his romanticism and a natural dynamism.
The melodious vibraphone of the excellent French musician Jacques Marugg, the virtuoso bass playing of Andreas Kostopoulos and the personal approach to rhythm of Nikos Touliatos are in full harmony with the richness of the sounds from the guitar of Lefteris Christofis.
Τakis Barberis Group
Τakis Barberis (guitars & sitar) - Manos Saridakis (keyboards) - Yorgos Georgiadis (bass) - Yorgos Polychronakos (drums)
The music of Τakis Barberis starts from jazz, rock and funk and proceeds to a creative mixture with elements from Indian, Balkan and Greek music. In the '80s he was a member of the Jazz Fusion Quintet and the historic Iskra, and since 1990 he has recorded six personal albums, having collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists.
Manos Saridakis became a permanent member of the Dimitris Vassilakis Quartet at 15, and in New York he was able to work with some great names of the jazz scene. In 2006 he was listed among the world's 25 best jazz pianists under 30 in the Thelonius Monk international contest.
Bass player Yorgos Georgiadis, a top graduate of the London College of Music & Media, has frequently collaborated with the National Theatre and the Athens Symphony Orchestra.
Drummer Yorgos Polychronakos, an awarded graduate of the Melbourne Victorian College of the Arts, has had international collaborations with distinguished musicians such as Tony Gould.
