Mimis Plessas was born on 12 October 1924 in Athens. He attended the Lycee Leonin, studied at the Physics Department of the University of Athens and then went to America to pursue his studies. At a young age he became the first solo piano in Greek Radio. In 1952, it won the first prize of music at the University of Minnesota. He then, began working with composition and since 1956 as a conductor and composer.
Its artistic and compositional activity covers the last 50 years, all areas of music: theater, cinema, radio and television, having to his credit 104 movies and 70 plays (!!). He has conducted numerous major orchestras around the world, such his offer in Paris in 1958, Edinburgh and the U.S. in 1964 and 1965 respectively.
In 1967 he released what is often mentioned as ‘the holy grail’ of Greek jazz music. This was a jazz fusion based on Greek traditional folk songs, the outcome was a freshjazz, beat, psychedelic, funky, samba, bossa nova (!!) orchestration that re-introduced the old material, improvised and suggested a new and very interesting sound.
Originally recorded in 1966 for the needs of an advertising broadcast (‘Fix’ beer!), the 10 tracks of the album are masterfully treated in a modern way by Mimis Plessas and his band, the Orbiters. Playing ultra-loungy, with some fuzzy guitar overtones, they follow a jazzy direction without losing their folk originality!
Tracklist
| A1 | Lemonaki (Peloponesian Dance) / Λεμονάκι (Πελοποννησιακός Χορός) | |
| A2 | O Menoussis (Dance Of Thrace) / Ο Μενούσης (Θρακικός Χορός) | |
| A3 | Yalo Na Pas (Dance Of Zante) / Γυαλό Να Πας (Ζακυνθινός Χορός) | |
| A4 | Karagouna (Thessalian Dance) / Καραγκούνα (Θεσσαλικός Χορός) | |
| A5 | Karavi Ap' Ti Hio (Dance Of Chios) / Καράβι Απ' Τη Χίο (Χιώτικος Χορός) | |
| B1 | Tria Pedia (Dance Of Volos) / Τρία Παιδιά (Βολιώτικος Χορός) | |
| B2 | I Perdika (Dance Of Corfu) / Η Πέρδικα (Κερκυραϊκός Χορός) | |
| B3 | Vassilikos (Dance Of Epirus) / Βασσιλικός (Ηπειρώτικος Χορός) | |
| B4 | Kalamatiano (Dance Of Kalamata) / Καλαματιανό (Καλαματιανός Χορός) | |
| B5 | Kritikos (Cretan Dance) / Κρητικός (Κρητικός Χορός) |
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