Petros
Klampanis is the leader, composer-arranger and bassist of Contextual Trio, a NY
jazz formation which played on last Wednesday in Paris at the Cultural Centre
of Serbia, organised by the Hellenic Cultural Centre (Read our review here…).
Petros’s life is split between NY stages and classrooms where he teaches
between the US and Greece. His first album Contextual was released in 2011, and
his second album is under way. Marguerite Gallorini chatted to him in Paris
ahead of his tour in Greece…
AAAmusic:
Hi Petros. Firstly could you tell us about your overall journey, to get a bit
of context?
Petros: I
grew up in the small Greek island of Zakynthos, then moved to Athens, and then
I left for Amsterdam in 2005, where I studied music until the end of 2007. I
then did a tour in Portugal, before leaving for the US in 2008, where I live
now in New York.
AAAmusic:
How long have you been playing music?
Petros:
Since I was four years old. But I didn’t start with the bass; I started by
playing the piano and singing – where I come from in Zakynthos, we have quite a
vocal tradition, with choirs, etc. Actually, the first song of my first album
Contextual, called ‘Thalassaki’ (literally “little sea” in Greek), is an old
song that derives from the musical tradition of the Greek islands – but on the
album it is played by a string quartet and the double bass. Also on my island,
there is an interesting combination of Greek but also Italian music, since it
had been occupied for a long time by Venice. Therefore the music sounds a bit
different from the rest of the country, because it is based on western
harmonies, on a more Italian “Bel Canto” opera style, rather than
oriental-Turkish melodies.
AAAmusic:
That is indeed interesting, since your music has nevertheless this oriental
touch throughout…
Petros: I
guess it comes from the broader Greek tradition. Even though Zakynthos is a bit
particular; I am Greek after all, so it has to transpire in some way since I
have been immersed in it while growing up. However I took notice of it – and
took a greater interest in it too – when I moved to New York and started
studying oriental idioms. That’s where I discovered it on a new light, and only
then did I feel less “guilty” of my Greek influence in my music.
AAAmusic:
What do you mean?
Petros:
Well, you know when I grew up in Greece, I didn’t like all this tradition
surrounding me and thought “why not try something else, like jazz” – I didn’t
like to have too much Greekness piercing through my playing. But when I learned
it again from another perspective, especially by being physically outside of
Greece, I learned to love it again and now I use this part of my personality in
a prouder manner.
AAAmusic: Where do you get your inspiration to compose, and
since when have you been composing?
Petros: I have been writing since 2007, when I was in
Amsterdam. As for the inspiration, I think it’s the same for every artist, we
get it from everyday life and experiences. I could be specific, or say that
Bach or whoever inspired me at some point… But it’s just about the condition we
live in, anything can trigger an inspiration as long as it is linked to
emotions.
AAAmusic: So there might be a link between the fact that you
moved out of Greece to Amsterdam and started composing then?
Petros: I guess so, yes… It was a big change, and somehow I
needed to create a frame, a context; I had to find another means of expression.
AAAmusic: Let’s get back to your group for a second. What
does the name “Contextual Trio” stand for?
Petros: Well… Of course the idea of context is central to
the idea. I came up with the concept in 2007 – I say concept because it is not
a fixed trio: in NY we are in fact a bigger formation, with a string quartet,
percussions, a guitar… so I guess the “trio” part doesn’t really work here! But
the idea of the band is really a merge of different contexts, like an object on
which a light is projected from different angles and therefore giving a unique
perspective of it every time – but the basis remains the object in itself, and
all these lights just help us get a better overall perception and understanding
of it. So in Contextual Trio there are different roles for the double bass than
for the quartet and the rest – the percussions give a more warlike touch for
instance, and so on.
AAAmusic: So what about the two musicians who played with
you last Wednesday (in Paris), how did you three meet?
Petros: Well as I said, Contextual Trio is not something
really fixed, it is more of a collective – and so it is not always the same
people playing too. It was actually the first time that we played the three of
us, with saxophonist Sylvain Rifflet, from Paris, and trumpeter Andreas
Polyzogopoulos, who is also Greek. So I guess it was an actual trio, for once.
I met Sylvain last year in Paris through my manager, then we had a few drinks
together and kept in touch… And as for Andreas, I know him from Amsterdam,
where we studied together.
AAAmusic: Who are your favourite artists?
Petros: I like very much French impressionists, like Debussi
and Ravel. From Jazz, well… I love Miles Davis, I think he was a visionary, he
never stuck to the same style. He was always looking for the next thing, but
was always relaxed and confident.
AAAmusic: Apart from that, who have you been listening to
lately?
Petros: Lots of different things… There is this NY group
that I like, Now VS Now, with keyboarder Jason Lindner, bass player Panagiotis
Andreou and drummer Mark Guiliana, who had played with Avishai Cohen. Lately I
have also very much been into Flamenco music, like Paco de Lucia’s recordings
from the 70s/80s, or guitarist Tomatito, and of course Camaron de la Isla. I also
like Indian music, like Zakir Hussain, and I am listening to a trio from
Turkey, Taksim, and to Tigran Hamasyan. I also have quite a few English artists
that I like, especially Gwilym Simcock and Phronesis Trio, a jazz band from
London. I’m also very impressed by young Jacob Collier!
AAAmusic: And on a practical level, how do you listen to
music? Physical, downloading, streaming…?
Petros: Well actually, both physical and downloading. You
know when I go to concerts, I tend to buy the CD of the group if I liked it,
because we have to help each other in our industry, that is how it works! But
sometimes I do listen to music on iTunes, you know, or use BitTorrent, that’s
very practical…
AAAmusic: Otherwise how is your life now in New York?
Petros: Ah, New York is crazy. Less than before, but still…
There I teach, but as private lessons. But I also conducted workshops at the
Conservatory of Music – Oberlin College for a spring semester, something I also
plan on doing this summer on Zakynthos with pianist Kenny Werner and
percussionist Jamie Haddad.
AAAmusic: Have you done tours in the US and in Greece?
Petros: Yes of course. We played in Boston, Philadelphia,
North Carolina, Washington, California… And we actually did a tour in Greece
last summer, with Jean-Michel Pilc, a pianist from Paris.
AAAmusic: Where is the place where you feel most
comfortable?
Petros: Well… As everyday life, I love Greece of course,
it’s my country. I love the nature there; the sun, the sea, the food… As for
concert experiences, I had great impressions from France and Germany. The
public are very attentive, but also very enthusiastic, they know how to be
warm. In Greece, people are becoming more and more curious and attracted to
jazz so that’s good – it has not always been the case, being a very traditional
country. But I have never toured in the UK, though I would love to give a
concert in London. I ought to be starting to send emails to plan this…
AAAmusic: Finally, what are you planning on doing next?
Petros: For now I am going to tour in Greece with the State
Orchestra of Athens, before flying back to the US on December, where I’ll give
a concert on the 27th at Cornelia Street Cafe. Otherwise we have a second album
being mixed right now and which should be released in 2014…and I think I would
like to support this one with videoclips maybe, and a documentary film on the
band. I’ll also be touring Europe in 2014, and afterwards the US.
