George Papavgeris profile picture

George Papavgeris

Singing the praises of ordinary people

About Me

“George is something special” – Martin Carthy
“The best thing to happen in UK songwriting in many a year” – Harvey Andrews
George’s stock-in-trade is quality songsmithery that everyone can relate to, rather than the more exclusive overt-confessional-soapbox mode that we often encounter. But he is not politically naïve, neither is his outlook without conscience; he just prefers lasting values to transient/parading activism, and takes genuine delight in simple pleasures.
George only began songwriting in 2001, but since then he has written 180 songs and produced no less than six CDs of his material. As an indication of the man’s quality, his last four albums were released on Robb Johnson’s Irregular Records (For My Next Trick/Ordinary Heroes) and UNLaBELLED Records labels (Silent Majority/Life As Usual). Additionally, more than a dozen of his songs are already covered by singers like Vin Garbutt, Andy Irvine, Roy Bailey and Cloudstreet to name but a few.
As a performer, George has a unique singing style. First impressions of gentility and understatement are quickly dispelled by his trademark passion. As a writer, he is driven by a love of people with all their imperfections, conveying the various issues and concerns with a healthy integrity and a deep folk sensibility. George is clearly conversant with a variety of musical styles and song forms, and his versatility extends throughout the many facets of folk music and types of song - from seasonal to the theory and practice of war, protest, industrial, vocational, social observation, local history/nostalgia, childhood memories, maritime, philosophical anthems and story songs. Now and then he also mirrors the music and rhythms of his native Greece.
A fitting epithet for his work might well be "songs for tomorrow's tradition", for make no mistake – George’s songs are putting down roots.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 2/17/2006
Band Website: folk4all.net
Band Members: Though not a regular permanent band, "Los Marbles" is the name I give nowadays to the collective power of talented friends who collaborate with me on the albums. And they are - in no order at all:

Miranda Sykes (of SoH, LJE etc)- double bass, lekky bass, vocals
Saskia Tomkins - fiddle
Anahata - cello, concertina, melodeon
Mary Humphreys - vocals
Vicki Swan - smallpipes, double bass, lekky bass
Jonny Dyer - Accordion, guitar
John Thompson (of Cloudstreet) - vocals
Nicole Murray (of Cloudstreet) - whistles, vocals
Chris Green (of Isambarde) - bouzouki
Jude Rees (of Isambarde) - oboe
Terry Silver - more whistles
Jeff Hinds - steel drum
Robb Johnson - lekky (Slough) guitar
Dan Waller - lekky (sweet) guitar
Johnny Collins - vocals
Graeme Knights - vocals
John Breeze - vocals

My thanks and admiration to one and all, they are awesome.
Influences: Pete Atkin & Clive James, Stan Rogers, Angelo Branduardi, Jake Thackeray, Jeremy Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel and Richard Thompson for a start. And then, everyone else too. And also medieval music, byzantine music, English & Irish folk, Latin American folk, Greek trad & contemporary folk, Italian & French pop of the 60s...

The Mudcat Cafe and all those lovely, crazy, annoying, diverse, perverse, talented and sheer anoraks that comprise it has often given rise to inspiration; and more often to relaxation, meeting of minds and discourse. Sometimes even intelligent conversation!

But above all, the people around me, "heroes just for making it through each day", struggling with their loveable imperfections to achieve that universal dream: A normal, happy life. Their winges and moans, their small joys and weaknesses, their courage and their capacity for wonder, love, hate, prejudice, altruism and selfishness, sacrifice and indifference. Bless them all.
Sounds Like: What a question - any answer is bound to be patronising. Tell you what - you tell me!
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Pinner, Middx: FREE Launch Concert for New Album (Lifes Eyes)

My "terrible seventh" album, Lifes's Eyes, is to be released on 29th February.  Details can be found on the website (www.folk4all.net), including all lyrics as usual.  The launch c...
Posted by George Papavgeris on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:12:00 PST

Burblings of a Fat Greek (4Q2007)

I am being nagged to "burble" again, so here goes& I just re-read the last Burblings (spring ) to get my bearings, and now I see why I have been absent.  So much has happened since then, it isn't...
Posted by George Papavgeris on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:58:00 PST

Spiers-Boden-Cannon-GMW and yours truly!

What a lineup, eh? Well, except for myself, I form more of a blob than a line.  But I will be thrice honoured to be sharing the stage with the effervescent John Spiers & Jon Boden, the legen...
Posted by George Papavgeris on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:22:00 PST

Burblings of a Fat Greek - Spring 2007

OK, I am lonely, I confess.  Vanessa is off to Australia to visit our son and his family, and the double bed feels smaller than a baby cot; I'll be sleeping with the dog on the sofa, next!  ...
Posted by George Papavgeris on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 09:01:00 PST