Petros Klampanis db
Kristjan Randalu p
Bodek Janke d/perc

Petros Klampanis will be on our Youtube channel in the scope of 24th International Ankara Jazz Festival…

Petros Klampanis is a bassist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. Klampanis who has joined to Jazz a Head! in 2018 is with you on our Youtube channel as a part of the festival. We appreciate Redwood Entertainment for their precious support.
NAMED A “BASS ACE” by Bass Player Magazine, awarded composer and bassist Petros Klampanis grew up in Greece, surrounded by the confluence of Mediterranean and Balkan folk music. Now based in NYC, he is curious in his approach, always seeking unique ways to integrate elements from multiple genres, ranging from classical music to pop. Klampanis’ varied musical life journey brings aggressive melodicism, beautiful intonation, and uniquely personal string writing. Klampanis has collaborated with world acclaimed artists such as Snarky Puppy, Greg Osby, Jaques Morelenbaum, Shai Maestro, Gilad Hekselman, Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc, Antonio Sanchez. In addition to his extensive list of appearances in the US, including the storied venues of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and Kennedy Center in Washington DC, he has performed at the internationally acclaimed JazzAhead Festival in Bremen, XJazz Festival in Berlin, as well as Megaron Mousikis Athinon, Megaron Mousikis Thessalonikis, Onassis Foundation Performing Centre of NYC and Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. His 3rd album, Chroma, released by Motema records, was awarded as the best Live album of 2017, by the Independent Music Awards and was featured in major international radio and press outlets including WBGO, FIP (French Public Radio), TSF (acclaimed radio station in France), ‘Jazz’ magazine, DownBeat and JazzTimes. Since 2011, he has recorded 4 albums as a leader, receiving praise for his playing and composing. His debut album “Contextual” was released by Inner Circle Music a prestigious NYC based label, while his second album “Minor Dispute”, was selected as one of the best jazz records in 2015 by NPR (National Public Radio USA). Back in his country, Greece, Klampanis’ work is highly acclaimed. His music have been performed by Greek Public Symphonic Orchestra and by MOYSA the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Thessaloniki. He is collaborating as producer and performer with major greek artists such as Dimitra Galani, Maria Farantouri and Marios Frangoulis. Recently his passion for new media, social media and visual arts, led to his latest independent YouTube music video project “Rooftop Stories”, a combination of solo bass and electronic music elements, covering his favourite songs from jazz standards to indie to greek folk music. This evolved into a new experimental live act, that has been presented in NY (Rockwood MusicHall), exclusive house concerts and in the US and Greece. His 4th album 'Irrationalities' just came out by Enja/Yellowbird. It is his first trio album, featuring long time collaborators Kristjan Randalu and Bodek Janke. JazzTimes praise it as 'a dazzling, multifaceted thing of Beauty'.
Kristjan Randalu is one of the most compelling pianists of his generation, sought after as soloist, collaborator and composer, his music described by JazzTimes as an ‘unnameable exotic land’.
Born in Estonia in 1978 he moved with his family to Germany as a child where the piano became increasingly important to him. His teachers there included John Taylor in Cologne, followed by a time at the Royal Academy of Music in London (with Django Bates) and a scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music in New York. His musical partners have included Dave Liebman, Ari Hoenig, Nguyên Lê, Ben Monder, Nils Petter Molvaer, Dhafer Youssef, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Hall, the Berlin Konzerthaus, at festivals in London, Paris, Madrid and Istanbul, and toured in the United States and Canada, across Europe and in Turkey, Korea, Australia and Israel.
He exudes an uncompromising determination to pursue the heart of musical expression through his sublime technique yet he is no flamboyant showman. Audiences are captivated by his warmth, his passion for music and his quietly confident and honest personality. His numerous recordings as both soloist and collaborator include a Grammy nomination in 2006 and Jazz Album of the Year at the 2012 Estonian Music Awards. His awards include the 2007 Jazz Award of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the 2011 Elion Jazz Award, the 2014 Music Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Jazz Composer of the Year 2018, and the 2020 National Culture Prize in Estonia.
Bodek Janke is one of today ́s most sought after drummers and percussionists of the international jazz and world music scenes. His unique and outstanding way of playing the drums, Indian tabla and various percussion instruments has given him opportunities to collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma, Lars Danielsson, Bill Evans, Bobo Stenson, Leszek Możdżer, Gilad Hekselman, Nuria Rial, the WDR, NDR & HR Radio Bigbands, Jasper van ́t Hof, Kinan Azmeh, Kristjan Randalu, Petros Klampanis, Tarek Yamani, the Turtle Island & Atom String Quartets, and many others. Dubbed as ́a master of many dialects ́ by New York ́s drum legend John Riley, Bodek ́s distinctive sound was recorded on more than 200 albums as a sideman. He has also recorded 10 albums under his own name.
His current quartet, SONG, with its first released recording in 2019 has already spread enthusiasm among international audiences; with the second album, SONG2 to be released in February 2020. It features the Namibian vocalist Shishani Vranckx, Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu, British bassist Philip Donkin, the Atom String Quartet from Poland, plus guest appearances of saxophonist Bill Evans, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and trumpeter Sebastia