Dimitrios Vassilakis
Dimitrios Vassilakis | |
|---|---|
| File:Dimitris Vasilakis.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Native name | Δημήτρης Βασιλάκης |
| Born | October 21, 1961 Athens, Greece |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, educator |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Candid Records |
Dimitrios Vassilakis (Greek: Δημήτρης Βασιλάκης; also credited as Dimitri or Dimitris Vasilakis; born 21 October 1961, Athens) is a Greek jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator. He has released several recordings on Candid Records and has performed internationally in Europe and the United States.
Early life and education
According to the Greek Jazz Library, Vassilakis was born in Athens in 1961. He studied chemical engineering at the National Technical University of Athens before pursuing music studies in London, including studies at the London College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.[1]
Career
Vassilakis has performed at jazz venues in the United States and Europe, including appearances in New York and London.[2][3]
He has also appeared at the Lycabettus Theater as part of the Athens Festival.[4]
His album Parallel Lines received reviews in All About Jazz,[5][6] DownBeat magazine,[7] and JazzTimes.[8] It was also reviewed by the Italian magazine Suono.[9]
In a review published in New York Press, his playing was described as reflecting the post-Coltrane and post-Rollins jazz tradition.[2]
His album Daedalus Project – Labyrinth was named Album of the Month by BBC Music Magazine in March 2002 and was later placed second in a BBC Music Magazine year-end jazz poll, according to All About Jazz.[10]
In 2007 he presented the concert Jazz Among the Greek Gods – An Evening with Dimitrios Vassilakis at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., as part of Jazz Appreciation Month.[11]
Vassilakis was interviewed by JazzTimes, where he discussed his recordings and compositional approach.[12]
During 2013, he performed with his quartet at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.[13] Later, in 2018, he presented the "Jazz Democracy Forum" at the United Nations as part of International Jazz Day events.[14]
He has received support from the Onassis Foundation for artistic and educational projects.[15]
Vassilakis has performed at a number of international jazz festivals and venues. He appeared at the EFG London Jazz Festival and the Nublu Jazz Festival in New York.[16][17] Since 2015 he has been involved in organizing jazz events in Greece, including the Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival.[18]
Academic activity
He has been involved in research on jazz improvisation and computational approaches to music analysis, with his work presented at the Sound and Music Computing Conference.[19]
Vassilakis has also presented research related to jazz improvisation and technology. In 2023 he presented work on jazz analysis frameworks at an Audio Engineering Society conference in New York.[20]
He has served as adjunct faculty at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.[21]
Poetry
Vassilakis is also a published poet. His collection *Magiko Chali* was published by Iolkos in 2024.[22]
He previously published *88 en Kinisi* (Aition, 2016)[23] and *Anacoda* (Gabriilidis, 2018).[24]
His work has been reviewed in Greek literary magazines and cultural websites.[25][26]
Discography
- Secret Path (1998)
- Labyrinth – Daedalus Project (2001)
- Parallel Lines (2005)
- Across the Universe (2010)
- Jazz for Bentley (2011)
- Labyrinth – Daedalus Project – Remastered & Live at Birdland (2022)
References
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis". Greek Jazz Library. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Dimitrios Vassilakis at Birdland". New York Press. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis visits the Vortex". Jazzwise. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Σύγχρονη και αφροκαραϊβική τζαζ στον Λυκαβηττό". Kathimerini (in Ελληνικά). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ May, Chris. "Parallel Lines review". All About Jazz. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ Turner, Mark F. "Parallel Lines review". All About Jazz. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Parallel Lines review". DownBeat. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis: Parallel Lines". JazzTimes. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis – Parallel Lines". Suono. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis – Musician Profile". All About Jazz. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Jazz Among the Greek Gods at Jazz Appreciation Month". Embassy of Greece in Washington, DC. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitri Vassilakis: Saxophonist, Vocalist, Composer, Educator". JazzTimes. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola April 2013 lineup". Jazz at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Jazz Democracy Forum". United Nations Web TV. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Μελέτη Σαξοφώνου – Δημήτριος Βασιλάκης". Nakas Publishing. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitrios Vassilakis – A Dialogue of Jazz Improvisation with AI Interaction". EFG London Jazz Festival. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Nublu Jazz Festival listing". Nublu. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Rhodes & South Aegean International Jazz Festival". Official festival website. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Jazz Mapping: An Analytical and Computational Approach to Jazz Improvisation" (PDF). Sound and Music Computing Conference. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Jazz Mapping – An Advanced Framework for Solo Analysis and Discovery in Jazz Music". Audio Engineering Society Conference. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Adjunct Faculty". National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Magiko Chali – Dimitris Vassilakis". Iolkos Publishing. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "88 en Kinisi – Dimitris Vassilakis". Public Bookshop Athens. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Anacoda – Dimitris Vassilakis". Politeianet. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Dimitris Vasilakis poetry review". Culturebook.gr. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Anacoda review". Monocle Read. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
External links
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