Bands
Blue Guitars
Heli Punzenberger, guitarist and vocalist from Austria, played at the Kardamili Festival since 2015 every year in various duo settings and as a soloist during the last three years. This year he is going to play four concerts with his longtime duopartner Angelika Bjarsch on guitar and they call themselves „blue guitars“, offering a nice blend of Blues, Jazz, Latin and more garnished with Heli´s fine humour.
Les Ducs de la Pompe
Les Ducs de la Pompe Gypsy Jazz & more Les Ducs – French for The Dukes – the pump? We are, so to speak, the “Sultans of Swing” translated into Gypsy Jazz. “La Pompe” is the rhythmic beat that is in pieces like “Minor Swing” or “Artillerie Lourde” the typical Gypsy sound sound. Johannes Siepen – vocals & guitar Bonn, Uwe Cujai – bass Cologne Olaf Schilperoort – guitar Monschau
The Salty Rocks
The Salty Rocks, from left: Dr. Z, Percussion, Per, Saxophone, John, Vocal & Guitar, Herby, Guitar and Reijo, Keyboard. We live in Koroni, Messinia, Greece and play traditional Rock & Blues music. We play 50/50 own songs/covers and we release our first CD, 10 new songs, this year.
Toini & the Rock'n'Roll
Toini & the Rock’n’Roll Allstars are excited for the upcoming Kardamili International Jazz Festival, where they will bring together the village and visitors through their love of music. Norwegian bandleader Toini Knudtsen, who is a singer, songwriter, and artist, sees jazz, C&W, rockabilly, and blues as all being part of rock’n’roll. She draws inspiration from vintage music and puts her own spin on it with the help of talented musicians from the Norwegian rock, surf, americana, and blues scene. Toini & the Rock’n’Roll Allstars aim to have a blast playing their favorite tunes and energizing the crowd at the festival, which they have played at four times. Toini’s other band, Toini & the Tomcats, is well-known internationally, having toured Europe and the US, released six albums, and has new music on the way. Additionally, Toini leads a C&W project called Toini & Rio Bravo, which is currently working on a full album.
Trio Guitarra
Trio Guitarra will be playing music from all over the world from Jazz, gypsy, Flamenco and Anatolian styles, and compositions for the first time written by them.
ElectroSocks
The ElectroSocks have prepared for you a live music extravaganza and ecstatic entertainment featuring all the No1 hits from the decades of the best pop music ever written! The ultimate vintage party band challenges you to resist dancing to one success after another that shone on the charts in an unforgettable live experience! The pop hits, Greek and foreign, that made you dance, laugh, fall in love, are all here: 70s, 80s, 90s pop hits, all in a thunderous playlist full of energy and a bombardment of memories! ElectroSocks: The band you always waited for, but never expected
Bass Barefoot Rock ‘n’ Blues
Chris – Guitar, vocals
Steve – Drums, vocals
Guy – Bass
Bass Barefoot Rock ‘n’ Blues are an English band, permanent residents of the Greek Mani, playing a wide selection of Rock 'n Roll covers spanning from the 1960’s to the present day – Beatles, Rolling Stones, REM, Killers, David Bowie Pink Floyd etc. They have played twice at the Kardamyli International Jazz Festival and perform regularly over the summer months around Stoupa. Winter months are spent rehearsing in their mountainside studio.
Feast For Fools
Feast For Fools is a brass band from Sarpsborg, Norway. The band was started in 2011 and plays world music and popular music with jazz inspired arrangements. The band consists of seasoned musicians who have a long track record in various projects. The band has recently released the single “Circus” which has been played on Norwegian National Radio and is available to stream where you listen to music!
Fuga
Fuga is a five man formation from different countries. Fuga’s repertoire consists of pop funk and jazz.
Hans Mathisen Trio
Hans Mathisen – guitar
Julian Haugland – bass
Ernst Wiggo Sandbakk – drums
Hans Mathisen Trio plays a mix of jazz standards and original songs from the band members, with a modern approach and a lyrical touch.
The musicians are well known from the Norwegian jazz scene. Hans and Ernst Wiggo have played together since the 1990s, and the very talented young bass player Julian contributes with outstanding musicianship and good mood!
Live Foyn Friis
A duo with Live Foyn Friis – vocals, and Bård Helgerud – guitar. They play a nice choice of jazz standards and some originals. The two met in Denmark through master studies in Music, and have played several concerts together in in- and outland. They also recorded cd’s together with ‘Live Sings Sassy’ and ‘Touché Monet’.
Live has been nominated for several music prizes for her songs and albums, in Japan, Denmark and Norway, and won the prizes; The Years Young Jazz Composer, Denmark’s New Jazz Star, and The Live Camp Prize for best performance and got to play support for Britney Spears with her pop-project ‘Liive’ in 2018! She has also performed with names like Bobby McFerrin, Mike Stern, Brian Blade and went on tour with John Scofield Uberjam Band in Czech Republic.
The Batchelors of Jazz
Scotland’s swingingest small band with two generations of Dave Batchelor from Scotland and Hong Kong a Norwegian rhythm section that blows harder than any other. David Jnr sings and plays trumpet evoking Chet Baker in both. Trombonist Dave Snr channels Louis Prima and all the other greats who showed that entertainment is as important as jazz.
Ma Bossa
Ma Bossa is a band from Makarska, Croatia founded in 2015.
The members of the band are:
Anka Ilijasevic Nikolac – vocal
Boris Strbac – guitar
Ivan Srzić – bass
Ivan Fistanić – drums
Since we all live in the Split-Dalmatia county known for tourism, we perform mainly in hotels and
restaurants for tourists.
We perform the music we love, which is jazzy and bluesy and some pop and traditional Balkan
music.
Deaf Hippo
Deaf Hippo are a band from Athens, Greece.
The trio was formed in 2020.
The experimental nature of the group and different influences lead their music to a
mixture of jazz, hip hop, rock, reggae, funk, and other genres while adding their
personal taste and expression through improvisation.
Deaf Hippo released on March their debut album Time + Flow and is now
available on all major music platforms via Distrokid.
Link Distrokid
Nikos Probonas – guitar
Fanis Tsougrianis – bass
Orestis Gravaris – drums, samples
Good Rockin' Dave
Fredrikstad Storband
Fredrikstad Storband (Fredrikstad Big Band) was established in 1981, celebrating more than 40 active years as the city of Fredrikstad’s main jazz band. The 17-piece orchestra has its musical roots deep in the traditions created by legends such as Basie, Ellington, and Miller. They are however not afraid to explore new and contemporary musical paths. Their broad range of performances includes church concerts, show-style and theater productions, countless dance gigs as well as concerts and performances both in Norway and abroad, including St. Petersburg, New Orleans, New York, Spain, and Cuba.
The Daisy Sisters
Singers
Natalie Aldema
Natalie and Olga met in connection with a performance in 2022. The musical chemistry was so good and inspiring and led to exciting concerts at Herr Nilsen, Konserthuset in Oslo amongst others, with Natalie’s mixed repertoire. Through their collaboration in several concerts they discovered that they would love to work on creating original material together. They have since made a handful of sketches for a new project but at the Kardamili International Jazz Festival, in Greece, they will be presenting classic jazz with repertoire taken from artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and Chet Baker.
Tricia Boutté
In New Orleans, musical families are an important part of the social fabric. Tricia Boutté is the next generation of a long line of talented New Orleans performers. The niece of the international jazz vocalist Lillian Boutté and versatile vocalist John Boutté.
At the age of 5, she began musical training in piano, violin and slide trombone, but began to concentrate on vocal music at age 15 and started her education in music studying for over 15 years under greats like Ellis Marsalis,
Harry Connick, Jr, Ed Peterson and Germaine Bazzle before earning her DMA, doctoral academic degree in musical arts. Before the age of 18 she began to perform with New Orleans’ jazz legends.
Her repertoire covers jazz, standards, R B, pop, soul, gospel and Caribbean music. She was a background singer for many years with Allen Toussaint, multiple Grammy winner and inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which led to an active career as studio vocalist for many top performers. Over the past several years, Tricia has had the pleasure of being on stage or in the studio with some of our world’s greatest performers; Allen Toussaint, The Neville Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, D’Angelo, Ellis Marsalis, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt, The Headhunters, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Fats Domino, Public Enemy, Shaggy, Eric B. & Rakim, Galactic, Eazy E NWA, Ytre Suløens Jass Ensemble (Norway) and the list goes and grows on.
Christin Malmberg
I am Christin Malmberg who is singing with Fredrikstad bigband at the festival. I am a schoolteacher/doglover and I sing as often as I can.
Sometimes with my father, saxophonist Jan Erik Ulseth, and also with other great musicians. I like acting in musicals and shows in Fredrikstad as well. This is my third time i Kardamyli, looking so much forward to be there and meet all the lovely people and enjoying the beautiful little village.
Lilian
Lilian started singing in the church choir at the age of 9.
She had a classical singing education. At 17 years old she started her Professional singing career. She worked with a lot musicians, in several bands all over Europe. I also did a lot of studio work for other artists, providing the backing vocals. Love to sing jazz, funk, fusion but also popular songs.
Now forming a temporary duo with the wonderful guitarist Tony Coxon.
Oscar King
TC Hawkins
A mixture of a soulful smooth voice with a high range and power
That seems to captivate the audience with a gospel style that leaves the audience wanting more.
Musicians
Stefanos Stefos
I was born in Athens and my first contact with music was at the age of 6 as a student of classical guitar. I completed my studies in guitar as well as in music theory. Afterwards, I became involved with many genres of music, as a musician and singer. I have been living in Kardamyli since 2010 and along with other musicians, we focus on rembetiko and folk songs. I sing and play guitar, baglamas, mandolin, lute and bouzouki.
Jan Inge Melsæter
Jan Inge Melsæter plays the trombone and sings. His carrier go way back to Norway and as early as 1974 he and his band were invited to perform at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. His latest performance in New Orleans was now in April (2023) in Preservation Hall. In New Orleans, he met Tricia Boutté and T.C. Hawkins both great singers, and together with his Quintet, they will play at the Kardamili International Jazz Festival. They will present swing, blues, gospels and spirituals, and standards from the great jazz repertoire. The band members are all well-known jazz musicians from Norway, Børge Tronrud, sax Tom Arild Andersson on piano Harald Juliussen Bas, and Espen Rud on drums.
Tony Coxon
Tony Coxon is a Spanish/classical guitarist based in UK and the 2023 festival will be his 4th appearance. Last August he also played 4 concerts at the Robert Normann Festival in Sarpsborg, Norway. He plays a diverse range of music – Brasilian (bossanova/samba,choro), music from Argentina, & other S American countries, classics including Beatles, Sting, Paul Simon and ‘jazz’ standards, Spanish, Italian…..etc. This year he will also be playing with singer Lilian Step (see Fuga) in a new duo project.