About Me
JAZZ UTOPIA QUARTET
A few words
Muse.gr is proud to present Arothymian, a new album by
NICKOS KAPILIDIS & THE JAZZ UTOPIA.
THE JAZZ UTOPIAs music is based on mixing melodic and rhythmic elements from Greek music and harmonic / rhythmic colors found in jazz and contemporary music.
In the original compositions from the band members, the most important aspect is Improvisation. The Jazz Utopia Quartet moves between East and West, with the same power and belief, both through the written melodies and the improvisation parts.
Their sound is sometimes electric, harsh with a rock energy, and sometimes simply atmospheric, almost romantic, taking you on a journey with no ending, a utopia, which you will enjoy taking.
The Jazz Utopia trio was formed in spring 2001 based on the Idea to work on Odd Rhythms.
The trio members love for jazz and Greek traditional music, plus the will to create music where all these elements fused together, led them to creating a sound that was based on these musical components.
Their first live appearance was at the International Percussion Festival
On Lefkada island in July 2001.
The group performed their original material and they also arranged a Clinic for musicians of all Instruments analyzing their approach to odd rhythms.
For almost two years the band didnt play live engagements, trying to work on the material and to create the specific sound that they had in mind.
In July 2003, in an engagement at the International Percussion Festival of Petroupolis, Takis Paterelis, one of the most prominent sax men in Greece, joined the trio both for the concert and for the Recording of the Arothymian album. Thats how JAZZ UTOPIA QUARTET was formed.
BIO:
My first musical Influences and my first encounter with Jazz, came at the age of eight years old at my fathers record store with the records: a) Art Blakeys-Jazz Messengers Live (Savoy records) and b) The Cat by Jimmy Smith. At the following years I attended Music lessons for: Bouzouki (a popular Greek Instrument) Accordion,Trumpet, Flute, Piano, Theory and at the age of thirteen I started playing drums with various pop Rock bands as the band "Ahatis" at 71 in the City Drama.
For several years, I was a member of the "Family band" with my father and my brothers playing Greek traditional music.
I've studied drums with:
Stelios Fotakis (Thes/niki)
Alekos Xristidis (Thes/niki) Mickey Earnshaw
(Vancouver-Canada) Max Mariash (Chicago)
Julian Vaughan (Thes/niki) and with Takis Barbas
(Thes /niki).
I had attended Clinics with Tony Williams,
Jack de Johnette, Louie Bellson ,Roy Burns,Dave Weckl,Dennis Chambers,
Steve Smith and Kirk Covington.
In 1985 I've formed, with Kostas Pagonidis,
The "Percussion Ensemble of Thessaloniki".
During my carrier I have played with various bands in the styles of: Rock-Blues-Jazz-Fusion in various clubs in Greece, Switzerland, Germany and France.
The last several years I have focused in the study of the
"Greek Odd Rhythms" (5/8-7/8-9/8 etc) writing a book about this subject and forming the following bands: "Serious Fun" (1996) "Ebnus Jazz Quintet" (2000) I'm a member of the "Andreas Georgiou Ethnic Quartet'' ,and ''The Jazz Utopia"(2001) creating music, based on these rhythms.
For the same reason I have participate in the bands that formed by Olivier Gatto and Lydia Phillipovich playing Yugoslavian songs, with jazz arrangement. I have played with many Greek jazz musicians and Jazz Musicians from around the world as well as with Greek Composers and singers.
I teach at:
"Ars Nova" music school
By Yiorgos Fakanas-Athens-Greece
