Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν"

Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου
Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές
Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία
CD
(Ano Kato/ῥεῖ Records, 1997)

Pianist Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου (Sakis Papadimitriou) has been featured on the Jukebox before, but only as a solo artiste. In addition to his solo work and various sessions with other players, he and his wife Γεωργία Συλλαίου (Georgia Sylleou) have recorded three albums together as a duo, with her singing and him tinkling the ivories and tickling the steel.

Today's selection comes from their second album, Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές/Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία (Open Routes/Nine Storied Songs). The lyrics for "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" (Hymn to the Muse) were written ca. 200 AD by Διονυσίου Αλικαρνασσέως (Dionyssios Halicarnasseas). While the entire album is wonderful, "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" is my favorite track. Παπαδημητρίου's unconventional playing on this piece sets a dark, smokey, slightly menacing mood for Συλλαίου's languorous vocals.

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Hymn to the Muse

Chant, my dear Muse
and introduce my song
let the breeze
from your groves
vibrate my mind

Come forward and be good to me

Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου "DM/βήχας"

Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου
Πιανοεπαφές
LP
(σειρά αυτοσχεδιασμός, 1980)

I first discovered free improvising pianist Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου (Sakis Papadimitriou) in a bargain bin at a record show around ten years ago. There was a dealer with several boxes of $5 CDs, and Plus and Minus, by Papadimitriou and percussionist Lefteris Agouridakis, looked intriguing. Plus, it was on Leo Records, an excellent jazz label generally worth a risk (other Leo risks that proved fruitful have included South Wind by the Satoko Fujii Orchestra and Hidden Music by the Scottish improv combo Green Room).

Plus and Minus turned out to be a very cool album, and I've been searching out more Papadimitriou ever since. He's released several solo albums, in addition to collaborations with others, and today's piece is from his second release and first solo outing, Piano-Contacts (in English). The name of this piece translates to "DM/Cough." No, I don't speak or read Greek; there are translations for everything on the back cover. Papadimitriou sticks strictly to the keys on this number, but he often plays inside the piano as well, strumming, scraping, and plucking the strings. No matter how he plays, he's a master, imo.