The jazz&more section opens this year’s events of the Patras International Festival at 9.30 pm on Friday 14 June in the courtyard of the new town hall (old Arsakeion).

Fans of jazz and… not only, will attend a three-day musical feast and a guided tour by special artists through the streets of jazz and its “uncharted” paths.

Next Friday night, “Kolida Babo“, two musicians specializing in brass instruments with sounds and influences from different regions of Greece will leave their own mark at the premiere of the festival. Sokratis Votskos from Pella and Haris P. from Athens, guided by creativity and the sensation of collective expression, will reveal on stage why jazz and music in general is a universal language that should be accessible to everyone.

In their live sessions they explore the traditional music of Armenia and the folk traditions of Epirus and Thrace in relation to abstract electronics and free jazz.

Harper Trio

Maria-Christina Harper, electric jazz harpist and composer, takes the floor on Saturday, June 16th in order to reintroduce the sound of the harp to the world of jazz.

Through her interest in transcending the traditional boundaries of the harp, she presents the instrument in new and exciting ways, combining her traditional musical roots with free jazz to create an irresistible, exciting sonic universe where East meets West.

Maria-Christina has collaborated with two outstanding and recognized musicians. With drummer Evan Jenkins and dynamic saxophonist Josephine Davies, forming the Harper Trio for which she created seven original compositions. The compositions flirt with avant-garde and psychedelic sounds, creating an extremely interesting spiritual jazz soundscape.

Alekos Vretos

The three-day “Jazz & More” section culminates and ends on Sunday 16 June in the courtyard of the old Arsakeion with the performance of Alekos Vretos Mediterranean Echoes, which this time does not include percussion or drums.

Here the rhythm is implied, leaving room for the musicians to use the melodies to say what they want. The oud with the traditional clarinet of Yannis Diskos, and the bass of Dinos Manos along with the piano of Dimitris Verdinoglou converse effortlessly.

Top virtuosos weave their own elements onto the melodies they are called upon to interpret and make them their own, without depriving them of their original colour and meaning. The compositions to be heard are those of all four, as the collective musical character prevails.

Among the compositions are interspersed, and favourite compositions by Ara Dinkjian, Simon Shaheen, Anouar Brahem, etc.