Jazz Traces

There are times that the Greek popular style is touched by an inspired orchestrator and then a new blend is produced – let’s put “new” into brackets. What I’m talking about is the jazz elements that are sometimes wisely integrated into the popular form. The outcome is something like this…

Kostas Kafasis was a Greek popular singer and actor. He died in 2010.
The song Adio Gia Mas (Goodbye to us) comes from his album Pos Na Fygo (How to Leave) from 1979. The song is credited to Tzini and M. Karra and the orchestration to D. Milios. Check the jazz break after 1:30

Kostas Kafasis - Adio gia mas (1979)

Kaiti Dali has a long history in Greek popular music. Spent several years in Canada and US and came back to Greece in 1971. She collaborated with many great composers for Greek popular music, made a come back through here live performances and the collaboration with Stavros Xarhakos and recently contributed to Vinicio Capossela latest album.

Me Htypoun Katastitha (They Hit Me Right In The Chest) comes from her album Anazito (I’m Looking for) from 1979 (again). The song is written by Th. Polykandioris. By the way D. Milios (mentioned above) also contribute to this album as a composer in 5 songs. Not sure if he lent a hand in orchestration too.
Check how a typical tsifteteli becomes a jazz fusion with horns, trumpet soli and flute after 1:10

Kaiti Dali - Me htypoun katastitha (1979)

John Tikis, real name John Tekes, was born in Athens and moved to Australia at the age of 14. There he started his career as a singer with his group John Tikis & The Playboys. He won gold records and toured all over the world gaining a reputation of a great international performer until 1974 when he returned to Greece.
There he recorded 15 albums, performed with top musicians and then back to Australia, in 1981, where he hosted a TV show for Channel 10 named Let's Go Greek, Endaxi!

Ekana Peiramata (I’ve Made Experiments) comes from his 1977 album Borei Na Efyga (I Might Have Left). The song belongs to M. Karras (again) who’s also responsible for the orchestration and K. Nitsos

John Tikis - Ekana peiramata (1977)

News and Gifts from Nowhere

The Last Drive
We have already discussed about the unique ability of The Last Drive to keep changing their sound and evolve their music.
From the early garage days to today’s psychedelic sound the band never sounded outdated.
This month the Last Drive released an EP with 4 new songs: News from Nowhere
Let it go, Butterfly 69 and Black rain sound like if Ron Asheton plays lead guitar with the Clash of the London Calling era. The 4th one, Child of the sky, is a nice rock psychedelic ballad.

BLML
Earlier this year another pleasant surprise hit the fans of the Last Drive family. The group of Karanikolas, (guitars and vocals on The Last Drive) Blackmail, released a new album after more than 10 years. Although the band members remained the same (with the addition of a piano/keyboard player), they changed their name BLML (a shortcut of Blackmail) and released their album The Gift, marking a significant shift in gears and sound but not in inspiration.

BLML offer a true Gift: 11 new compositions orchestrated with guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and viola. The changes are obvious and welcomed: the compositions are generally slower compared to the Blackmail albums, which provide a “breathing space” for the musicians  and the voice of Karanikolas. There are changes in tempos and dynamics which allow for nice combinations (for example the sharp voice of Karanikolas over a sweet piano arrangement before guitars shift gears and lead to a dynamic crescendo)
The vinyl was sold out within the first weeks and re-released.

Swinging

Katerina Polemi has what we call Duende. It is present in her live shows, it’s also present in her recordings.
Born in London but raised between Greece and Brazil, Katerina, got something of the extroversion of both worlds and implanted it in her music and performance.

Her natural talent is backed up by some very good studies at the Berklee College of Music that, I guess, provided the professional perspective and helped her shape the ideas and energy into some great swing/gypsy jazz music.

In 2011 she released her first album with original compositions:  
Spread the Music Not the Name




visit: http://www.katerinapolemi.com/

The Speakeasies Swing Band: The band that took its name of the Speakeasies movement of 1920s originated in Thessaloniki in 2010. Since then they participated in many Lindy Hop Greece events and festivals.

They count 8 members playing electric and acoustic guitar, double bass, piano, clarinet, sax, violin and drums providing a very full swing sound with nice instrumentation and featuring a very good female vocalist.

Their first EP, Bathtub Gin, is to be released by end of July 2012 by Liquid Bass Records.

Check this great song and the equally good video clip: Black Swamp Village



visit: http://www.speakeasies.gr/