Phos Duo
Athens, Attica, Greece | INDIE
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"Phos Duo" - the title of the group and the album. Antonis Ladopoulos on the saxophone and Sami Amiris on the piano. Two musicians with remarkable artistic presence in the world of our own (Greek) jazz scene. Each with many years of studying, performing and teaching. Here, the two of them come together to form "Phos Duo".
An enigmatic title which, however, might just be saying it all. As they themselves describe it: "Sound and silence". Light and darkness ... conflicting emotions - sound colours rich or plain ... A journey to living musical creation".
As we hear it, through the scattering of various pieces and recordings - alternate takes or not - across the internet, it is a mature colaboration of high content, in the tradition and sound of the most important piano & sax duets that come to mind from the international record scene.
Ladopoulos and Amiris, with jazz as their vehicle and improvisation as their tool, through their own compositions, show their world as it is now.
Its name: "Phos Duo".
George Haronitis, Jazz&Tzaz magazine - February 2011 - Jazz&Tzaz magazine - February 2011
Phos Duo Finds Elite Audience at Archilochos
by Jeffrey Carson
The Archilochos cultural society seems to always manage to persuade some musicians to come to Paros before Easter to give us a concert. This year we were most lucky to get Antonis Ladopoulos and Sami Amiris for an evening of jazz. Antonis has been here before — we heard him two years ago with Mimis Plessas and Vasilis Rakopoulos ... but for me Sami is a new discovery. And what music they made!
Antonis plays straight jazz with passion, fluency and a big round tone. If you know the work of Branford Marsalis, you’ll have some idea of his sound and of the high level he has reached. Sami, on the other hand, is less jazz swing oriented, and his style is clearly influenced by early modern classical music. I asked him about this during intermission, and he admitted to a passion for the piano music of Scriabin, which has also influenced Keith Jarrett.
The evening opened with Herbie Hancock’s jazz standard, “Maiden Voyage,” but it sounded nothing like Herbie’s cool version ..... it was more romantic, and freer. Antonis’ “Morning Waltz” followed, but this was more about dayspring reveries than a lilting dance. The audience was ready for something hot now, and we got it. I didn’t catch the title, but it was a modern take on 1930’s stride, in which Antonis revelled in his chops and Sami gave us a madly updated version of James P. Johnson mixed with Dave McKenna ... the joint was jumpin’. But all the energy and virtuosity were musical, the high-speed lines were coherent and profluent and the duo’s rhythm was right on.
Modern jazz pianists generally derive much of their style from either Bill Evans or McCoy Tyner.I heard elements of both in Sami’s solos. But Evans predominated in the next number, Richie Beirach’s “Elm,” which many musicians play, with its slow throb, its dissonant fourths and seconds, its across-the-bar rhythm. To follow, Sami chipped in with a snappy tune, “Don’t Play It Again, Sam.” (“Play it again, Sam” is the popular misquotation from “Casablanca.”) Maybe Sami meant that he never plays the same thing twice ... which is true.
Another of Antonis’ romantic tunes, “Little Flowers,’ changed the mood. This was followed by a witty rethinking of Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas”. You would be excused for not recognising it. Antonis’ elegy for his late wife was the concluding tune; he was too moved to reveal its title. The melody was simple, and the performance was full of tenderness; sincerity and deep emotion prevented sentimentality. Well, it was too plangent a mood in which to leave us, so for an encore the duo essayed a straightforward “Autumn Leaves,” which musicians like for its harmonic sequence and listeners for its sequential melody. It was cold and rainy out, but our blood was heated by grace under pressure, which is what successful improvisation in time achieves.
Antonis and Sami, who are passionate and skilful musicians, played their hearts out for nearly two hours.
They will be back, so don’t miss it a second time.
- Paros Life magazine
Discography
They are about to release their first c.d. under the title
"Phos Duo".
Production: Artway - Technotropon
Distribution: Soundforge & Mousiko Taxydromeio
Photos
Bio
Antonis Ladopoulos - Bio
Antonis Ladopoulos was born in Athens Greece. In 1990, he earned a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance from William Paterson University of New Jersey, after attending its highly accredited Jazz Studies Program led by Jazz legend Rufus Reid. Upon the completion of his studies he received a Graduate Assistanship along with a full scholarship from Eastern Illinois University.
Moving to Illinois, he spent two years studying and working as a teaching assistant in the Jazz Program, led by Alan Horney and Henry Butler. During that time, he performed on various occasions as a member of the Henry Butler Quartet.
In 1991 he earned an exceptional performance award at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. He graduated in 1992 with a Master of Arts Degree and moved back to Greece.
Since then, he has been leading his own groups and teaching the Jazz idiom in the greater Athens area. He has performed all over Greece, both with his own group and as a featured soloist.
His personal discography includes 6 albums. He has appeared in numerous commercial recordings with various pop artists, as well as a soloist with the National Radio Orchestra. His quartet was featured in the celebrational events of the 2004 Olympic Games.
Antonis Ladopoulos is also highly acclaimed as an educator. Today, some of his former students are among the top music professionals in Greece.
He is the co-founder of Muse.gr music institute & record label and the creator and co-director of Muse Festival one of the most prestigious yearly Jazz festivals to take place in Greece.
Antonis is currently teaching Jazz Theory, Improvisation, Jazz Saxophone & Jazz Ensembles at the Department of Music Science and Art of the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Sami Amiris - Bio
He was born in Thessaloniki. His first music encounters were with Mr. Panayiotis Moralis, and subsequently with the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki. Meanwhile, he was a scholarship student at Anatolia College.
He studied Mathematics at the University of Heraklion Crete, and later in Athens. He studied classical piano with Prof. Dimitri Toufexis, a concert pianist and conductor of international stature, a Juliard Alumnus and Professor. He also took lessons in composition with Prof. Th. Antoniou, Dr. Ath. Zervas, etc. Very important for his musical development were the long-time association and friendship with the master drummer Zach Pinakoulakis, and a brief encounter with the great Mal Waldron.
Today, he is one of the best-known jazz pianists in Greece. His style encompasses many influences, from classical and contemporary music to jazz and blues and all related styles, to the music of Central and South America, Cuba, as well as Africa, India, Arabia, Maori and Ancient Greek music.
Central in his musical life are two colaborations: with Yiannis Stavropoulos and Periklis Trivolis in the power jazz piano trio "NUKELEUS" (www.myspace.com/nukeleustrio) with a double CD entitled "Masterpieces Revisited" under their belt, and with Antonis Ladopoulos, in the highly interactive saxophone - piano duo "Phos" (www.myspace.com/phosduo), with a CD about to be released, entitled "Phos". He also is the pianist of the Big Band of the Municipality of Athens.
He has appeared in many jazz festivals both inside and outside Greece with various colaborations, which include people like Bobby Shew, Craig Bailey, Chico Freeman, Ron McClure, Sean McGowan, Reiner Witzel, David Garibaldi, Dom Famularo, Walfredo Reyes Jr, Marko Djordjevic, Manuel Orza, Enrique "Kiki" Bu, Vasilis Rakopoulos, Takis Paterelis, Yiotis Kiourtsoglou, Jazz Utopia, Janet Kapuya, Veronica Mortensen, etc. He has also lectured as a seminar lecturer in various institutions.
As a teacher, he has had many success stories. Students of his have enrolled in many of the world's most prestigious music institutions, both at the undergraduate and graduate level.
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