YAKO TRIO

Yako Trio is a jazz band formed in 2016 in Thessaloniki, Greece, consisting of:

-     Leandros Pasias - piano
-     Vangelis Vrachnos - double bass
-     Giorgos Klountzos/Chrysidis - drums

Three young musicians who, after their studies mainly in jazz and their musical wanderings in various cities abroad, returned in their hometown, with their luggage full of a great variety of sounds, experiences and knowledge, in order to challenge and have a fertile and energetic exchange with Thessaloniki’s particular sounds and memories coming out from its very long, rich and multicultural history.

The key element for forming the trio was the work of the well-known Greek musician and composer Yannis Konstantinidis, in particular his arrangement in familiar melodies and rhythms of Greek traditional music. Konstantinidis’ intention was to preserve the unregistered Greek traditional musical material through the synthesis process. He had been heavily influenced by classical composers such as C. Debussy, M. Ravel and B. Bartok. All members of the Yako Trio have a deep knowledge of his work and also a great admiration for it. They formed this trio in an attempt to edit and introduce it again to the audience through their own musical sound and experiences. The band’s name “Yako Trio” comes after the initial letters of Yannis Konstantinidis’ name.

Their objective is to create a new dynamic, imaginative approach to well-known Greek traditional songs, merging traditional idioms, classical harmonies and contemporary jazz music elements, incorporating jazz improvisations. Aspiring to revive the authentic traditional music, they present their own compositions, and form their musical identity, always having an outward-looking attitude through interaction with musicians from different cultures and various music styles. This “ethnic-jazz” trend becomes increasingly popular among the general public all over the world, blowing away preconceptions about the boundaries between genres, constantly gaining even more non-jazz listeners. 

The band’s members are professional musicians with rich bios, both individually and as a band and have had in-depth musical studies in Greece and abroad (Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Codarts Academy in Rotterdam, Conservatoire de Nice, Conservatoire a rayonnement regional de Lyon, The Michigan State University and others). They have also participated in seminars and workshops with worldwide-known musicians and teachers (Avishai Cohen, Mike Clark, Enrico Pieranunzi, Dennis Mackrel, Leon Parker, Rodney Whitaker, Randy “Uncle G” Gelispie etc).

The members of the Yako Trio have collaborated, performed and recorded with notable jazz musicians, including Diego Rivera, Xavier Davis, Craig Bailey, Baptiste Herbin, Pierre Marcus, David Lynch, Ziad Rajab, Pantelis Stoikos to name a few. 

The band has participated in various festivals in Greece and abroad, such as: Jazz au Chellah - Morocco, Odessa Jazz Fest - Ukraine, Prilep Jazz Weekend - North Macedonia, The Festival of Moni Lazariston, - Thessaloniki, The SKG Bridges Festival - Thessaloniki, The Pik Nik Urban Festival - Thessaloniki, The Sofar Sounds - Thessaloniki, Nice Jazz Festival - France, Nuits du Sud - France, among others.

In 2018, Yako Trio recorded their first album, including 5 tracks (total length 40:03 minutes, all tracks are Greek traditional songs arranged by Konstantinidis in 1950 and re-arranged by Yako Trio in 2016) aiming to an international release.

LINKS:

• https://open.spotify.com/album/5wBu91QqdVvfL0eXuymZC2
• http://yakotrio.com
• https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/yakotrio
• https://yakotrio.bandcamp.com/releases
• https://www.amazon.com/Ode-Yannis-Yako-Trio/dp/B07MNNZSXN

YOUTUBE FOOTAGE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa9FQ5Y9vJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnHA5XchWCk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV2v4c3S7Qw

BOOKING CONTACT:

Achilleas Stavrou - Goodheart Productions
e: achilleas@goodheart.gr
t. +30 695 511 3396 & +30 693 822 9475