GILAD ATZMON
with THE IRENAEOS KOULLOURAS JAZZ TRIO
Thursday 8 February 8pm - Ananas 8Bit Coffee Paphos
Entrance: €10
Reservations: Tel: 26600126
Do not miss such a special Jazz Gig! Get ready for some jazzy hurricanes with Gilad Atzmon on the Saxophone/Clarinet, Irenaeos Koulouras on the Double Bass, George Morfitis on the Electric Piano, and Stelios Xydias at the Drums.
Τhe “Whistle Blower” and one of the most accomplished musicians of the contemporary jazz scene, Gilad Atzmon, returns to Cyprus for three concerts presenting a powerful music programme with well-known jazz tunes, all performed in a unique, sophisticated style combining great bebop artistry with the sounds of the Middle East. For his performances, Gilad will collaborate with talented jazz musicians Irenaeos Koullouras (double-bass), George Morfitis (electric piano) and Stelios Xydias (drums).
Gilad Atzmon is an Israeli-born British jazz musician, music producer, novelist and activist. As a multi-instrumentalist he plays saxophone, clarinet and ethnic woodwind instruments. His album Exile was the BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. He has been described by John Lewis on the Guardian as the “hardest-gigging man in British jazz" and he is touring extensively around the world playing in festivals, concert halls and clubs. Gilad Atzmon's music moves more and more towards a cultural hybrid. Atzmon is interested in exploring the meaning of urban folk, the cultural melting pot of the contemporary city. As a bandleader and reed player he has been amazing his listeners with his powerful personal style which merges the music of the Middle East and Eastern Europe together with Jazz and contemporary improvised music.
Cypriot double-bass player Irenaeos Koullouras studied next to the famous jazz musicians Ron Carter, Charlie Banacos and Ed Barker, while he performed in New York and many European countries with great musicians such as Gary Burton, Theothosi Spassov, Ofer Ganor, Amos Hoffman, Steve Hass, Walter Smith, Asaf Uria, among others. In 2001 he moved to Athens, where he collaborated with Charis Alexiou, Christos Leontis, Nikos Xydakis, Nena Venetsanou, Socrates Malamas, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Harlow and others and he was teaching double-bass at the Nakas Music School. Currently he performs regularly with his Trio (along with Giorgos Krasides on the saxophone and Giorgos Koulas on the drums) and other bands.
George Morfitis started his musical education at the age of 6. At the age of 16 he was the youngest from his school to obtain a Grade 8 diploma on Classical piano and theory from the Royal School of Music, London. At the age of 20 he pursuit a career in Athens, Greece were he studied modern harmony and jazz piano. At the age of 21 he moved to Havana Cuba where he continued his musical studies in the University of Havana I.S.A. and Ceneart in classical composition arranging and Cuban folk music. At the age of 24 he moved to Rotterdam the Netherlands to obtain a BA degree in music in Codarts (Rotterdam’s Conservatorium) with specialty in Latin and Latin jazz piano.
After his studies at the Codarts Rotterdam Conservatory, drummer Stelios Xydias returned to Cyprus where he is an active performer and a music educator. He performed in many international and local music festivals, next to great musicians such as Gilad Atzmon, Alexia Vassiliou and others. He also performed in various records (“Simplicity” with the Andreas Rodosthenous Ethnic Jazz Ensemble, “Seven Miles East” and “Colours of Another Sky” by the Takoushis-Karapatakis Project etc.) and in October 2014 he published his personal EP “Silence”, which is a solo drums project.
Directions: Head down the Polis road and turn right at the traffic lights at Papantoniou Supermarket. Go over the small cross roads and the venue will be found on the right. It is open 9.30am – 10.30pm daily. There is on street parking opposite and a car park just past the venue on the right. ANANAS 8 BIT COFFEE, 35 Athinas Street, Paphos. Tel: 26600126. www.facebook.com/ANANAS8BitCoffee/events/