We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.
supported by
marcelotoledo
marcelotoledo thumbnail
jazzsot
jazzsot thumbnail
gioskar
gioskar thumbnail
mike-s
mike-s thumbnail
/
1.
Love & Rage 24:06
2.
Barbarians wear tuxedos 07:12

about

Usually on your birthday, you are inviting your friends to hang out and have some fun. That’s the starting point here. Stelios Mihas was the birthday boy and despite the Covid-19 movement limitations, he has invited his good friends and colleagues to his place to play music together and have some drinks.
Stelios Mihas is a guitarist, composer and producer who has spent many years in NY before spending the past couple of years in Athens due to the pandemic. His studies in classical guitar in Greece and later on in jazz & improvisation in the USA have given him the appropriate ‘tools’ to make certain arrangements to his guitar in order to serve his sonic goals. He is de-tuning the guitar to such degree that he gets access to the lower frequencies of the instrument and in several cases achieves to replace the role of the bass. His approach and talents were appreciated by musicians such as Daniel Carter, William Parker, Irma Nejando (aka Esperanza Spalding), Leo Genovese with whom he has performed and/or recorded.
In the subject recording which took place at his own studio (4D), he joins forces with the saxophonist Dimitris Pantelias and drummer Giannis Despotakis. They are playing together after being individually isolated because of the Covid-19 quarantines and it becomes clear how much they have missed such gatherings. The one take, improvisation, no editing recordings are risky ones. Well, here you don’t have to worry much. The session is burning all the way through..
Mihas opens up ‘Love & Rage’ in slow pace. Pantelias possesses a keen and distinct jazz vocabulary which is evident right from the beginning. His playing is marked by a muscular forward motion, full of long, exploratory lines that slice deeply into the soundscape of the tune. Despotakis' drumming is flexible, following the flow mostly, suggesting directions whenever there is time for some breathing while his vocalisms are welcomed and into the texture. Mihas is full of creative ideas, experienced enough to demonstrate them while Pantelias plays at a fast tempo. At the beginning and the ending of the track we get a glimpse of his expressive skills.
On ‘Barbarians wear tuxedoes’ the trio’s wanderings follow similar patterns. Mihas opens up the tune with fascinating distorted elements while Pantelias displays his range once more. The emphatic saxophone phrasing keeps things in a dramatic trajectory. Despotakis doesn’t propel the music aggressively with his drums, preferring to respond with stealth textures.
‘Birthday Bash’ is the starting point for this trio. Their rapport is obvious, their skills are undeniable so happy birthday Stelios and wishing you much more music to come.

Sotiris Kontos
August 2022

credits

released September 15, 2022

DImitris Pantelias_soprano & alto saxophone

Stelios Mihas_guitar

Υannis Despotakis_drums

-------------

Recorded on May 21st, 2021 at studio 4D, Athens

Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Stelios Mihas

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

4D studio image

4D studio Brooklyn, New York

Home of the productions of nyc based athenian guitarist & producer Stelios Mihas.

Tune in to the 4D

------

Page design art by Katerina Konstantouroy

contact / help

Contact 4D studio

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Birthday Bash, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now