Born in Turin and raised in a family that loved jazz music, Roberta Gambarini started her clarinet studies early, and from the age of 17 was playing and singing in various clubs in northern Italy. In 1998 she was awarded a scholarship to Boston, where she won third place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition.
Natassa Bofiliou was born in Athens in 1983. She is studying Political Science at Athens Law School. She has studied piano and music theory at the Greek Conservatory. Her first recording was released in 2004 on the album “Defteri Akroasi tis Mikris Arktou”. Her first personal album (2005) – a collaboration with her friends and collaborators Gerasimos Evangelatos (lyrics) and Kostas Tsirkas (music) and entitled “100 Mikres Anases” (100 Short Breaths) – introduced Natassa as one of the most promising voices of her generation.
The sound of Makis Ablianitis' group combines melodies that stem from a love and involvement in traditional Greek music, the influences from his travels and his collaborations with musicians from the East (Hariprasad Chaurasia, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Bustan Abraham, Abdelli), the Balkans (Dragan Dautovski, Fuat Saka, Bulgarian Voices), world musicians (Glen Velez), and the jazz improvisation that he has served and taught all these years.
“biri biri” are biri biri. They were formed in Heraklion, Crete in 2003 and for the past three years have been found scattered between the Cretan capital, Athens and France.
The HOT ORGANIC TRIO was formed by guitarist Makis Ablianitis, organist and singer Yiannis Monos and drummer Zafiris Tsinalis. The group has performed countless times, in different clubs and festivals throughout Greece and abroad, enjoying great success thanks to the warmth of their vibrant music.
The guitarist and composer Yorgos Krommidas, flanked by the talented Kostis Christodoulou on hammond organ and Christos Asonitis on drums and with a respect for jazz traditions follows in the path of the classic Hammond trios, with a fresh outlook and modern perspective, offering groovy and melodic moments with his own compositions.
Nikos Anadolis started to play the piano and improvise at the age of four. In 2004 he won first prize in classical music in the Greek piano competition “Philon” and third prize in the international competition “Konzerteum” in 2005.
The blues of Muddy Waters meets the soul of Sly & The Family Stone and the authenticity of J.J Cale. The combination of American musical culture with the band's personal element and character creates a fresh approach to tradition through the musical prism of today.
The band's current line-up is:
IOSIF KYRITSIS, VOCALS / GUITARS / LAP STEEL
GIORGOS KATSANOS, GUITARS / PIANO / HARMONICA / TRUMPET
NIKOS KORPAS, GUITARS / PIANO
YIANNIS KATSANOS, BASS
CONSTANTINOS ZERVAS, DRUMS / PERCUSSION