WHO[‘S] IS WHO[ON]

Faces in shop windows: the Onassis Stegi exhibition hall meets Amsterdam’s Red Light District. How does it all connect with what the group is about to play? Who is this mysterious Hamm? The connecting tissue is the poetry of Samuel Beckett and Miltos Sachtouris, which has been a staple in Michalis Siganidis’ work for years.

Siganidis, one of the most idiosyncratic musicians of the Greek scene, absolutely individual and consistent, comes to the Onassis Stegi with an audio-visual installation, with the participation of friends and partners with whom he goes back a long way. Evan Parker, an emblematic sax player of contemporary jazz, joins them in a surprise guest appearance.

The audience will move freely among the musicians, impacting on the sound and aesthetics.

The composer’s engagement with Miltos Sachtouris goes back to 1989 and Siganidis’ second personal album, "Morning and Night". This marks the beginning of his acquaintance with Sachtouris, whom he used to visit in his Kypseli home.

Among Siganidis’ musical and semantic references are jazz improvisations, and the work of Frank Zappa, not so much as a musical influence, but as an inspiration towards a satirical look at man, an oblique take on reality.

Humour and self-mockery are basic features of Siganidis’ approach. In his notes on the album Ghost-train Friend (1995) the Chorus of Men "Northern-servants" is mentioned, while wherever there’s a collaboration with his regular partner/contributor Haris Lambrakis is referred to a s the Lambrakis Group.

Evan Parker is an emblematic saxophone player of contemporary (and more specifically free) jazz. He has collaborated with so many musicians in this field and contemporary music in general that namedropping seems pointless. He has also been influential in forming an autonomous, characteristic jazz trend in Britain. His previous Onassis Stegi's appearance was in October 2012.