Akritas created a unique piece of art, Greek in nature (vocals in Greek, though there are not many vocal parts, Mediterranian tunes throughout the album) and similar to Italian symphonic prog in approach, when lots of musical ideas change each other in a short period of time, making the music always unpredictable. Lots of contrasts, powerful organ chords, propulsive and at times aggresive drums, tasteful use of synthesizers, interesting guitar passages are the components of this short record.

The world premiere recording of John Tavener’s Lament for Jerusalem in its “Jerusalem version” performed by the Choir and Orchestra of London under the direction of Jeremy Summerly. Soprano Angharad Gruffydd Jones and counter-tenor Peter Crawford are the featured soloists.

This is the third consecutive "Euro-Jazz" CD compilation produced by Jazz & Tzaz Magazine (Greece), featuring a large proportion of the groups and musicians that will participate in this year’s concerts of the 4th European Jazz Festival in Athens. Creative music and musicians from all over Europe give an integral scope of a special kind and variety, and a special feeling of contemporary jazz in Europe. This year’s festival is enriched by the participation of the new European Union members from Central and Eastern Europe. Jazz & Τζαζ Magazine would like to thank all European Embassies and Cultural Institutes (plus the Municipality of Athens) for their kind and helpful collaboration in making this CD, as well as all the musicians and record labels involved.

Euripides wrote The Trojan Women in 415 B.C., but his tragic play about the aftermath of the fall of Troy continues to resonate many centuries after it was first performed. Eleni Karaindrou, best know for her film scores for Ulysses' Gaze and Eternity and a Day, composed this score for a 2001 production of The Trojan Women after being struck by the parallels between the ancient Greek story and the recent situation in the Balkans. Although she chose to use various folk instruments from around the Mediterranean, such as the lyre, an ancestor of the modern violin; the lauto, a Greek form of the lute; and the ney, an end-blown flute, her stark compositions are not folkloric recreations. Instead, she blends the ancient timbres of the instruments with a vocal chorus to create a sound that is not quite modern but not archaic either. Perhaps the best word to use in describing Karaindrou's austere, beautiful music is timeless.

Before his name became associated with bad things (in relation to Vangelis), Stavros Logaridis (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης) was well established in the Greek rock scene, forming the band Poll in the early 70s, and then the famous progressive band Akritas in 1974. The lyricist for the Akritas album was none other than Costas Ferris, Vangelis' lyricist for the Aphrodite's Child album "666". During the 70s, a friendship was struck between Vangelis and Logaridis. He even lived with Vangelis for a brief spell. In 1980, Vangelis co-wrote a song, "NA M' AGAPAS" performed on his second solo album entitled SE ALLH GH. Vangelis used his pseudonym, "R. Broadbaker".

SOMM Recordings is delighted to announce Hush!, the second release by the extraordinary voices (BBC Radio 3) of female quintet Papagena following their internationally acclaimed, Amazon classical chart-topping debut, The Darkest Midnight (SOMMCD 0189). Hush! unearths a treasure trove of songs largely neglected on disc to deliver a stunning follow-up to The Darkest Midnight. Where it hymned the cold, harsh glamour of sun-starved winter, Hush! playful, poignant, poetic and primed with the expectation of joy celebrates the warmth and light of love.

Christina Pluhar and l'Arpeggiata invite you on a musical cruise that will take you from Portugal to Turkey, following the coasts of Spain, Catalonia, Greece, and Italy, caressed by the rocking of the waves and the captivating dialogue between traditional plucked instruments of the Mediterranean region the qanun, saz, Greek lyre and lavta, the oud and Portuguese guitar and the Baroque strings of l'Arpeggiata.

Mikis Theodorakis is legendary Greek composer, born in Chios, Greece on 29th July 1925. He has worked for the Greek as well as international music industry for the last 70 years, contributing close to a thousand songs along the way. He has mostly centered his compositions to 20th century classical Greek music, working in a wide setting of genres. In a career that has been marred by rich musical taste, he has worked in various dimensions of production such as symphonic works, chamber music, cantatas, hymns, operas, stage plays and film scores. His work, in addition to featuring classical Greek poems and literature, is also influenced by his political leanings and struggles which were shaped throughout his life.

A band with a revolving cast fronted by Iraklis Triantafyllidis between 1972 and 1995, Iraklis played a blend of traditional Greek folk with psychedelic rock and classical aspects. They released 3 albums from 1976-1984, the most acclaimed being "Se Allous Kosmous", a double LP at the time, marked by ambitious blending of seemingly disparate styles and instruments that somehow works.

Though Yanni is widely known as one of the most popular purveyors of New Age music, there's actually quite a bit going on here. In addition to the Greek keyboard whiz's usual arching, romantic melodies there are a host of other musical elements present. ETHNICITY is an eclectic mix of the operatic (check out Michelle Amato's pipes on "For All Seasons" and "Almost a Whisper"), the electronic (the pulsing, almost Moroder-esque sequencers on "Play Time" and "Written on the Wind"), and the ancient (the chanting on "Tribal Dream," the timeless-sounding flute work that permeates the album). Keying in on the album's title, the closing tune "Jivaeri" is a traditional Greek ballad that touches on Yanni's personal roots while still remaining very much of a piece with the rest of this sonically diverse offering.

Villagers of Ioannina City, one of the leading Greek heavy rock bands, comes from the mountains of Epirus. They are deeply influenced by Greek nature and cosmic phenomena and infuse their unique brand of heavy psychedelic rock with folk instruments such as bagpipes, flutes and, didgeridoo.

Savina Yannatou - Songs Of An Other (2008) {ECM 2057}
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© 2008 ECM Records | ECM 2057
World Music / Folk / Greek / Mediterranean Traditions

Third ECM album by resourceful Greek singer Savina Yannatou and the exciting band Primavera en Salonico, recorded in Athens in 2007. The collective sails through traditional songs from Armenia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Southern Italy as well as Greece, and adds a 16th century hymn from the Yiddish tradition. Arrangements, primarily by Kostas Vomvolos, find the points that unite the traditions, while Savina locates areas where experimental vocal technique can overlap with the idiosyncrasies of folk singing. A magical recording, with achingly beautiful melodies, and spirited improvising erupting out of the arrangements.

The Greek and Roman cultures of classical antiquity have left an indelible mark on European society. The Greek 'muse' is the origin of our concept of 'music', and ancient Greek culture included concert performances with a listening audience, hundreds of years before the rest of the continent.