Jack Wright / Giorgos Kokkinaris / Stephanos Chytiris
As part of his European tour, American saxophonist Jack Wright joins Giorgos Kokkinaris (double bass) and Stephanos Chytiris (drums) for a concert of improvisation and instant creation. Wright visits Greece for the presentation of the Greek translation of his book “The Free Musics: the improvisational side of jazz in America from the counterculture of the 60’s to today”, translated by Fotis Nikolakopoulos (Idyphon Publications).
One of the pioneers of free improvisation, Jack Wright lived some diverse lives, as activist and academic, until settling into music full-time in 1979. Now 81 years old, he tours again in Europe and the US, where he is still the “Johnny Appleseed of free improvisation”, as guitarist Davey Williams called him. His playing consists of distorted pitches, precise timing, intrusive multiphonics, sudden changes of direction, obscene animalistic sounds, and occasional “real” notes. He collaborates with Zach Darrup, Ben Bennett, Evan Lipson and Ron Stabinsky, and his most recent groups include Wrest, Minimal Disturbance, Roughhousing and Never.
www.springgardenmusic.com/jackbio.html
The double bassist Giorgos Kokkinaris composes, improvises and collaborates with people from the fields of composition, visual arts, poetry and dance. His art is based on the physicalization of music through voice and movement and the use of new technologies. He gives concerts abroad and organizes seminars on improvisation. He is part of the editorial team of the magazine “NewMusic.gr”, which aims to strengthen the local music community. He is a member of the contemporary music group àktapha.
Stephanos Chytiris was born in Athens and started to play music from a young age. He studied in Athens and New York. He has participated in groups of the New York free jazz scene with Daniel Carter, Ingrid Laubrock, Pascal Niggenkemper, Billy Mintz, Tony Malaby, Bram De Looze, Luca Rosenfeld and Todd Neufeld. Recorded in 2014 and produced by drummer Michael Carvin, “Flux Project – Pyr|n” is his first solo album. He subsequently released the double vinyl “Egata”, in which seven musicians improvise on specific tonalities, typically featuring short intermittent phrases and coordinated outbursts.