Trumpet player and composer Andreas Polyzogopoulos grew up in Samiko, a small village of southwest Greece. He picked up the guitar at a young age until he discovered the trumpet at age eighteen. He studied jazz trumpet at the Conservatory of Amsterdam (BMus) and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (MA) where he won the Toots Thielemans award. He also took lessons from Markus Stockhausen and followed a workshop with Paolo Fresu in Sardegna.
In 2008 he recorded his first personal album (Perfumed Dreams) with the group Poly Quartet and won the first place in “Motives for Jazz” competition in Belgium. In 2010 he toured Europe as a member of European Youth Jazz Orchestra and in 2011 he recorded on Dimitris Kalantzis’ quintet cd “Mano’s” which was the first jazz record to become Gold and later Platinum in Greece. He has played in various important jazz festivals and venues such as North Sea Jazz Festival, Odessa jazz Festival, Sanghai world music Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, I suoni delle Dolomiti, Jazz a la Vilette, Banlieues Bleues.
He has recorded four personal albums and also appears in more than seventy as a sideman. He has collaborated with the majority of the Greek jazz musicians as well as with world music artists such as Savina Yannatou, Maria Farantouri, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Yorgis Manolakis and Psarantonis. Andreas performed and recorded also with international artists such as Jaques Morelembaum, Tore Brunborg, Diederik Wissels, Michel Portal, Gunter Baby Zomer, Markus Stockhausen, Tony Lakatos, Dulce Pontes, Serge Teyssot Gay (Noir Desir), Anne Paceo, Marc Buronfosse and Federico Casagrande.
The European Jazz Scene is where Andreas feels at home, especially where the music has enough space to take risks and experiment with the timbres of the trumpet, the rhythm, electronics and the silence. His later records include a tribute to his favourite band Pink Floyd (“Heart of the Sun”), followed by “Annica” (inspired by a ten day silent meditation) and the ambient album “One Inch of Love”. After a residency in “Cite des Arts” in Paris, Andreas moved to Brussels and soon after he started collaborating with pianist Diederik Wissels. He appears on Wissels’ “Secrecy” and “Before You Go” CD’s. The last years he’s touring intensively in Europe as a member of the “Tania Giannouli Trio”. Soon he will release his 5th personal album with Petros Klampanis on the double bass & Wajdi Riahi on the piano.
THE MUSIC >>
“Petrichor” is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Αncient Greek Πετρα (pétra) stone’, and ιχώρ(ikhṓr), the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods in Greek Mythology.
I have always been playing jazz standards with drum-less trios, since Chet Baker is one of my music heroes. However I have also been experimenting with formations that sometimes feature two drummers. It wasn’t until the last summer, when I played two concerts with Petros Klampanis and decided to make an album without drums. His solid bass playing allowed me to imagine all the rhythms that I had in mind and yet enjoy the space and sound of this formation.
The album consists of 10 original compositions, mostly inspired by scents, nature and especially the Mediterranean.
His trio is a formation that combines jazz with the mediterranean music, as well as the sound of electronics. I feel fortunate to work with two great musicians and friends: the Greek multi-awarded bassist/composer/bandleader Petros Klampanis and the Tunisian young prodigy piano player Wajdi Riahi.
Quotes from Erik Truffaz:
Your music honors the silence and creates dreams. Your way of playing the trumpet is so delicate that praises this sometimes ungrateful instrument. You have a round, velvet sound, even when muted.Art is delicate, it hangs by a thread, this thread you’ve pulled from the sky. I hope this golden thread will guide you and lead you to a career deserving of your talent.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6d-MzM4oQQ
LINE UP
Andreas Polyzogopoulos- trumpete
Wajdi Riahi – piano
Petros Klampanis- bass
Territories Europe except Greece
Tourdates
Booking is open for 2024 -2025:
27.05. – Athens Jazzfestival
2025:
8. Mai – AT – Kultur im Hof