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MP3 Alki Steriopoulos - Philately
13 MP3 Songs
POP: with Live-band Production, JAZZ: Weird Jazz
Details:
Alki''s songs are quirky, intelligent, humorous, compassionate, sensual, and as un-classifiable as the artist himself. His music crosses all genres and is infused with elements of jazz, pop/rock, classical, country, latin, gospel, and world beat rhythms, all presented with an uncomporomisingly high standard of excellence.
Alkiviades "Alki" Steriopoulos! A talent as formidable as his name!
Beginning with piano lessons at the age of nine, Alki has enjoyed a lifetime in music. This incredibly diverse musician''s eclectic career has included conducting on Broadway, touring the world as a concert artist, and recording, arranging, and performing with stars as diverse as Richie Havens to Joel Gray.
A long time resident of New York City, Alki performed at Madison Square Garden with Rock ''n'' Roll Hall of Famers, The Band. He founded and led the Latin Jazz group, Zig Zag. In addition to their performances, Zig Zag served as house band for the popular weekly radio program "Noche de las Estrellas", on WKDM, broadcast live from the Ballroom. Alki served as Assistant Musical Director at Carnegie Hall for the multi-celebrity 100th Anniversary Celebration for Ira Gershwin, still airing on PBS'' Great Performances Series.
Alki has recorded and arranged for the Muppets, Steven Spielberg''s Dreamworks Interactive, and George Lucas''s Lucasarts. He has appeared in concert with cellist, Eugene Friesen, of the Paul Winter Consort, and has toured with the Virtual Consort in their acclaimed live silent film performances. Alki was featured soloist at the 1999 Sandpoint Festival performing George Gershwin''s American Classic, "Rhapsody In Blue", as well as the world premiere of Michael Giacchino''s "Camden 2000" with the Haddenfield Symphony Orchestra. Alki represented the United States on a two-month goodwill tour of Mozambique and South Africa with the Friends Across Borders Project. His performances in Portugal with the group Filantropia culminated in sharing the bill with Brazilian superstar, Milton Nascimento at the Tom de Fest in Tandela, in July 2004.
Alki will be performing in Luzern, Switzerland in the Off-Stage Piano Festival, November, 2005. He has also written his first novel, THE MAN WHO CAME LATE TO HIS OWN FUNERAL.
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About The Music of PHILATELY
THERMOPYLAE I, II, and III ( tracks 1, 5, and 11 )
This snippet taken from a larger piece of mine refers to a famous battle of antiquity between the Spartans of ancient Greece and the armies of the Persian King Xerxes. Vastly outnumbered by a hundred to one, the Spartan warriors repeatedly repelled the invading Persians until betrayal by a local shepherd showed the enemy a way around the pass of Thermopylae bringing about the slaughter of the Greeks. Here, producer Phil McArthur uses this driving modal phrase as a link between musical "islands", a pass between the eclectic worlds of this recording.
ZIMBABWE SQUEEZE MONKEY TERROR ( track 2 )
While in Africa performing with the Friends Across Borders project, ( a whole book''s worth of life experience in itself ), I had the opportunity to travel for a couple weeks overland in a Land Rover through the bush with my old adventure chum, Tom Johnson.
( Yet another book''s worth of life experience ). One of our sidetrips was to the Chimanimani Mountains which straddle the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. My partner and I thought to do a fast alpine ascent of the high peak and be back in time for evening gin ''n'' tonics on the verandah. We quickly became separated in the cloud forest and after searching for each other determined the best course was to follow water down and meet at the bottom. The fact that I was lost in equatorial Africa, in big game country, with night coming did not make me comfortable. Any adventure that is survived is a good one, but as I stumbled down the mountain I surprised a group of large fanged monkeys that came out of the trees to menace me. They were not happy with my intrusion and let me know it. This song tells the tale.
LA GRINGITA ( track 3 )
A fantasy of an island, and a golden woman who walks down a dusty road. Wrapped in color, her culo sways rhythmically as she effortlessly balances a jug on her head and a market basket on her hip. Regal. A princess. Latin-Jazz Grammy winner, Nestor Torres helps paint the scene with his flute.
THE MAN WHO WALKED ON THE MOON ( track 4 )
An aging astronaut sits in a classy joint reminiscing to a sweet young thang about what it was like to walk on the moon. As he works his seduction we know that no matter which way things go, nothing can take this sublime memory from him. Woody Allen meets David Bowie in this classic film moment.
GOOD DAY ( NOT ) ( track 6 )
This surrealistic trip is about...just listen to it. You tell me.
ASTOR''S PLACE ( track 7 )
An homage to composer Astor Piazzolla. As well as one of my favorite corners in New York City. Originally conceived as a piece for an Argentinian café tango orchestra, this version is inspired by how Phil and I imagined Egberto Gismonti might treat it.
THEY AIN''T HOMELESS ( THEY''RE CAMPIN'' ) ( track 8 )
I have a very soft spot in my heart for the homeless masses. And NYC did nothing to take it away. One beautiful day in Central Park, as I watched a man push his world around in a shopping cart, a "what-if?" thought sprang into my head. What if all these unfortunates were not homeless at all? What if they were actually just...campin''? With humor and a great deal of political incorrectness, this tune is offered. The monologue is provided by a street citizen in West Palm Beach affectionately known as Flippin'' Nigger George. (His name for himself, not mine.) FNG, while being a proud toothless panhandler, is capable of pulling off many, many consecutive backflips. Go figure.
NURSE ( track 9 )
A young nurse helps a soldier boy to pass out of this life to whatever is next. And in her own special way gives him his piece of immortality.
DARLIN'', I WISH YOU THE WORST ( track 10 )
Let''s cut the crap here folks. How many of us jilted betrayed lovers really wish the best for our ex-scumbags? This country tune from hell tells it like it really is.
WALLFLOWER ( track 12 )
Two painfully shy people decide to take a chance on romance.
HAVE I THANKED YOU YET TODAY, SWEET LORD? ( track 13 )
I had come through losing two family members, ( one to a senseless murder ), my home, and my job, all in the space of a few weeks. I was on the ropes, but as I strolled in Central Park, I looked to the sky and thanked God for the gift of the day. And at that very moment, this tune came to me as a gift.
What the Critics Say
Or
Unsolicited Shameless Hyperbole from Real People
"No hokum, just heady music tastefully presented and often brilliantly executed...not only with feeling, but with intelligence as well...check your musical labels and prejudices at the door."
-Cecil Richmond, The Indianapolis Star
"Steriopoulos'' brilliant energy on the piano was matched by his heartfelt vocals (it is a rare skill to be able to sing well and play well simultaneously as anyone who''s tried it can attest!)...https://www.tradebit.comriopoulos outdid himself. The arrangements were faultless, and his piano pyrotechnics were explosive! The man ripped off a few terrific octave runs that would have been worthy of Errol Garner. I felt fortunate indeed to have been privy to such a fine and entertaining show."
-Anneke Toomey, The Green Mountain Jazz Messenger
(review of "A NOD TO NAT" - tribute to Nat King Cole
"Yeah, baby. Crispy, crunchy."
-Errol Garner (yes, THAT Errol Garner) commenting on Alkis'' performance at the Theatrical Grille, Cleveland, Ohio
"I came, I listened, I quelled."
Actor Jack Klugman
"unadorned and straightforward, pianist/vocalist Alki Steriopoulos deserves attention and praise for the consistency of his interpretations."
-Bill Donaldson, Jazz Improv Magazine
Review of Alki''s CD, "Stardust Memories, A Hoagy Carmichael Songbook"
"Alki wasn''t playing. He was working magic. And what emerged from his baby grand piano wasn''t just a crystalline blend of jazz and pop - it was living, breathing life shacking up in those soundwaves...his body as limber as a stingray as he played; his eyes shut; his fingers dancing. Delicious...Alkiviades Alexander Phillip Steriopoulos. The heft of his name is roughly equal to this power as a musician - the power to create life...Alki sings and plays the piano like crazy. He makes modeling clay out of his piano keys. Like a fevered lover, he gives his piano purple fits. After some of his more urgent performances, I had a notion that the piano would have loved to get up and smoke a cigarette."
-Frazier Moore, https://www.tradebit.comrs News Press
Alki Steriopoulos, from the USA, was calmly mischievous during the entire concert. He was the actual mainspring man and had the appearance of someone wanting to play everything the instrument was capable of playing before the end of time. His solos provoked an outpouring of applause and shouts everytime his magical fingers made miracles of the keys."
-review of the final concert of Friends Across Borders 1998 tour which involved musicians from formerly warring tribes of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. This concert was held in the Sudwala Caves of South Africa. Translated from Portuguese by Ivo Antmann
"Steriopoulos plays aggressive piano, and earned much applause, especially with Gershwin''s RHAPSODY IN BLUE. He has a hearty, earthy approach, gentling down to an almost relaxed lead-in to the lovely theme. Indeed, he played with great honesty, with unexpected understatement in some segments-yet with underlying power and emotion leading to the almost staccato ending."
-Valle Novak, The Sandpoint Daily Bee
And finally,
"You''re the coolest guy over twenty I ever knew."
-a fourth grade clarinetist at Springfield Elementary after band class during https://www.tradebit.comriopoulos'' brief substitute teaching stint.
The full reviews from which these quotes appear are available upon request. All except the kind words that Errol Garner spoke to me between sets at the Theatrical Grille in Cleveland. You''ll just have to take my word on this one ''cuz https://www.tradebit.comner now plays piano in heaven with all the other worthies who preceded him.
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