Harris Lambrakis Quartet, feat. Andrea Romani

Photo: Giorgos Lambrakis

How is it possible to play modal jazz and yet seem to be speaking in Eastern tongues? There’s only one answer to this question and the fundamental contradiction it contains: the music of the Harris Lambrakis Quartet.

For the third and last night of the Panorama, Harris Lambrakis on ney, Nikos Sidirokastritis on drums, Dimitris Theocharis on piano and Dimitris Tsekouras on double bass will join forces with the incredibly talented Andrea Romani, the up and coming Italian flautist who now lives in Greece.

The musicians in the Harris Lambrakis Quartet have notable solo careers in common, as well as shared musical roots in the modal jazz of the Sixties and Seventies, improvisation, and the traditional music of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Their debt to John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Western harmonies, rhythms and melodies is obvious, but the combo’s unique strength lies in its ability to sound like the most contemporary group on the Greek jazz scene while fusing disparate elements, roots and influences into a compact, new, creative sound which refuses to reveal its component parts.

In short, their music is a testament to the concept of pure creativity.

Harris Lambrakis (ney)

Born in Athens in 1976, he studied music under Marios Mavroidis and ney under Sylvia Koutrouli and Ömer Erdoğdular. He graduated from the Music School of Pallini and from the Department of Music Studies (University of Athens). He performs in studio recordings and concerts. He teaches ney at the Athens Conservatory.

Nikos Sidirokastritis (drums)

Born on 1st of April 1964 in Athens, he studied at the percussion school of Athens Conservatory under Nikos Koratzinos, western harmony and counterpoint with Vangelis Kokoris and drums with Yannis Floros. Currently, he is teaching at the Modern Music School (Athens). He has performed in studio recordings and concerts.

Dimitris Theoharis (piano)

He was born in Athens, where he studied piano and music theory. He continued in Thessaloniki, where he received a diploma in fugue and graduated from the Department of Music Studies (Aristotle University). He has composed original music for theater, cinema and television programs as well as for the Opening Ceremony of the 2007 Athens Classic Marathon. He has taught jazz piano and theory of music at the Ionian University and currently, he is teaching theory in music schools.

Dimitris Tsekouras (bass)

Born in 1985 (Athens), in a small age he took piano and violin lessons. Further to he played electric bass and guitar. He studies photograph in Technological Educational Institute of Athens. Nowadays he studies classical contrabass in Athens Conservatory under T. Kazdaglis and jazz under Periklis Trivolis. He performs in studio recordings and concerts.