Mano's Jazz

Dimitris Kalantzis eventually found the best host for his creation.
So the jazz tribute to Manos Hatzidakis’ music is released by Verve and is simply a jazz masterpiece.
Hatzidakis was not a jazz composer. Jazz was there of course, either in pure form like in The Last Lie from 1957 Kakogianis’ movie soundtrack, or as an influence with some jazz elements and “touches” in works like Joconda’s Smile.
What Dimitris Kalantzis did is transformed some of the finest classical music into a pure jazz delight interpreted by a jazz quintet and a classical orchestra.
The outcome would make Hatzidakis proud.

Here's a sample from May I Be Your World (Dedication) - Dimitris Kalantzis Quintet (from Mano's album, 2011)


It certainly gives another perspective to Hatzidakis music that was hard to imagine. Kalantzis and his Quintet having mastered their art, they considered this as a natural next step: to take the great composer’s music they grew up listening and make it theirs.

Street Song - Dimitris Kalantzis Quintet (from Mano's album, 2011)


Athens Kamerata does a great job supporting the Quintet by filling or leaving space to the great musicians. Kamerata’s conductor is Miltos Logiadis and the string arrangements belong to Jiannis Antonopoulos.

Dimitris Kalantzis Quintet are:

Dimitris Kalantzis: piano, arrangements
Takis Paterelis: alto saxophone
Andreas Polyzogopoulos: trumpet, fluegelhorn
Alexandros-Drakos Ktistakis: drums
George Georgiadis: double bass

You can also listen to Away On the Misty River here