23rd Athens Jazz in the Technopolis City of Athens

 

The greatest Athens Jazz ever is here! The 23rd edition of the longest-running jazz festival in Greece is back in the Technopolis City of Athens from May 26 to June 3, offering Athenians and visitors to the city nine days full of live concerts and exciting meetings with the most talented musicians from Greece and abroad.

In the most significant edition in its history until now, organised with COSMOTE and Jack Daniel’s as the Mega Sponsors, this year’s Athens Jazz adds two extra days for the first time, celebrating its opening and closing in the most uplifting way. On Sunday, May 26, Meute, the dream team from Hamburg with its characteristic red jackets, will perform on the main stage of Technopolis, signalling the opening of the 23rd Athens Jazz with their fanciful, provocative and highly danceable jazz-techno music, with an opening act from “Pragma”, the unique project of pianist Kostis Christodoulou. On Monday, June 3, the festival closes with the miraculous jazz trio from Canada, BadBadNotGood. Athens Jazz invited the band that changed the standards about fresh, contemporary jazz for a triumphant closing show full of stylistic flexibility and multifaceted performing prowess. The opening and closing shows are organized in collaboration with the neighbouring Gazarte. To get access to presale tickets for the two concerts, please visit more.com.

But what are we to expect from the 23rd Athens Jazz in between? Of course, as is the case every year, a day of Athens Jazz is dedicated exclusively to Greek jazz, with three local bands chosen by the festival’s artistic committee in the jazz+, new music proposal and official participation categories. Thus, the creative mix of the Greek musical tradition with the jazz of the Jan Van & Fotis Siotas duo, the fast-paced rhythms of the unpredictable Mob Trio, and the experimentations of the trio of the internationally renowned trumpeter and composer Andreas Polyzogopoulos will open on Monday, May 27 the series of 21 live concerts of the festival with free admission.

On Tuesday, May 28, we will have the opportunity to enjoy the performance of Michal Bugala, one of the most prominent figures in Slovakia’s contemporary music scene. Bugala will be playing with his acoustic trio, Triple Jump, which drifts away from its jazz starting point, swaying comfortably-even by rapping- between hip-hop, funk and various aspects of rock. Next up is Dock In Absolute, a group full of youthful energy from Luxembourg that loves classical music while flirting with prog-rock. Following them is the brilliant guitarist Louis Matute from Switzerland, who will take us on a journey with his Large Ensemble to a melodically rich jazz world full of Latin aromas, creatively drawing on his Central American origins.

 

Wednesday, May 29, starts with Júlia Karosi, who, along with her quartet, uniquely integrates Hungary’s musical tradition and folk songs in a classical jazz setting. She will pass the baton to the French Léon Phal, a musician who manages with characteristic ease to produce groovy sounds in which the sense of electronic instruments is omnipresent. Yet, the result emerges in a completely analogue way through the patents of his talented quintet. Finally, the “man with the red trombone”, the restless Nils Landgren, will take the stage, who, with his Funk Unit, one of Sweden’s most important jazz-funk ensembles, make every live performance look like a delightful tribute to the greats of the funk school.

 

On Thursday, May 30, the day will kick off with a performance by Erika Soteri, the talented British Cypriot singer who combines jazz, rock, funky, soul, Latin and R&B in a unique and personal way. Following her performance, we will be treated to the deep and expressive sounds of the Mathias Eick Quintet, a Norwegian quintet led by the sensational trumpeter, considered one of the most influential figures in the modern music scene of his country. The evening ends with Italian finesse at its best: the highly talented Italian Paolo Fresu comes to Athens Jazz with his Devil Quartet, with which he has been playing for twenty years and consists of important Italian jazz figures. Together, they will offer us an unforgettable, evocative live show full of southern spontaneity and central European stylistic precision.

 

On Friday, May 31, Product May Contain from Poland takes the stage, creating a unique sound blend combining, among other things, their folk music tradition with ambient elements, as well as chamber music with ethnic percussion, followed by the abstract jazz expression of Mingo Rajandi, the multifaceted artist from Estonia, whose work is characterized by the power of simplicity, liberated expression and inter-artistic momentum that is capable of seducing and captivating the listener. Up next is the Zabelov Group, an exceptional duo from the Czech Republic. Their live performance is an intoxicating electronic set, where the electric accordion, otherworldly vocals and lively recorded loops with repeating motifs produce a multi-layered sound that reaches impressive peaks. Get ready to be blown away!

 

The first day of summer is appropriately celebrated in Athens Jazz. On Saturday, June 1, Shake Stew from Austria will captivate us with its groovy sounds and the numerous percussions that, combined with the rich wind instruments with the spiritual jazz hints, create a psychedelic acoustic experience. Next is the uprising Sunbörn from Denmark, betting that their “sunny” instrumental music, with its afro-jazz, ethnic elements and electronic touches with South American salsa hints, will make everyone dance the night away. Saturday’s live performances end with the irresistible voice of British singer Cherise. She belongs to a new generation of soul, jazz, and R&B musicians from the United Kingdom who manage to approach the huge musical legacy with respect and a fresh perspective. At the same time, she stands out with her punk temperament, authentic soul-jazz timbre, and pervasive self-confidence.

 

On Sunday, June 2, we will welcome Nana Rashid and enjoy the fragility, tenderness and muffled tension that springs from the melancholic yet dynamic timbre of her voice – features that rightly make her one of the most extraordinary talents in music Denmark has shown in recent years. Then, the award-winning Daahoud Salim Quintet from Spain will step onto the stage to cover a wide range of jazz directions, focusing on both hard bop and the unique technical skill of Daahoud Salim on the piano. Finally, Botticelli Baby, the outstanding jazz band from Germany, will be the closing act of the evening. They will entertain the audience with a range of jazz styles, lively movements, dance moods, and their signature cinematic emotion that reflects their unique and creative approach to music.

 

Be swept away by the soulful sounds of sensational saxophones, vibrant trumpets, and enchanting voices at the 23rd Athens Jazz Festival in the Technopolis City of Athens. Lose yourself in the fascinating melodies of pianos and let the dancing mood take you to new heights. With a series of side events for all ages yet to be announced, Athens Jazz promises an unforgettable experience. Stay tuned for more information, and let the enchantment of jazz take you on a journey to a mesmerizing world.

The 23rd Athens Jazz is organised with COSMOTE and Jack Daniel’s as the Mega Sponsors, Athenian Brewery as the Sponsor, AEGEAN as the Official Air Transport Sponsor, and Filippos Nakas stores’ kind sponsorship.

 

Athens Jazz 2024 | Line-up

Sunday 26.05

21:00 | Meute – Opening act: Pragma

Doors open 20:00

Monday 27.05

21:00 | Jan Van & Fotis Siotas (GR – Jazz+)

22:00 | MOb Trio (GR – new music proposal)

23:00 | Andreas Polyzogopoulos Trio (GR – official participation)

Tuesday 28.05

21:00 | Triple Jump (SK)

22:00 | Dock In Absolute (LU)

23:00 | Louis Matute Large Ensemble (CH)

Wednesday 29.05

21:00 | Júlia Karosi (HU)

22:00 | Léon Phal (FR)

23:00 | Nils Landgren Funk Unit (SE)

Thursday 30.05

21:00 | Erika Soteri (CY)

22:00 | Mathias Eick Quintet (NO)

23:00 | Paolo Fresu Devil Quartet (IT)

Friday 31.05

21:00 | Product May Contain (PL)

22:00 | Mingo Rajandi (EE)

23:00 | Zabelov Group (CZ)

Saturday 01.06

21:00 | Shake Stew (AT)

22:00 | Sunbörn (DK)

23:00 | Cherise (UK)

Sunday 02.06

21:00 | Nana Rashid (DK)

22:00 | Daahoud Salim Quintet (ES)

23:00 | Botticelli Baby (DE)

Monday 03.06

21:00 | BadBadNotGood – Opening act: TBA

Doors open 20:00

 

 

Information

Opening show Meute 26.05: Ticket presale on more.com

Closing show BadBadBotGood 03.06: Tickets presale on more.com

Live shows 27.05 – 02.06: Free entrance

 

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