Lefteris Christofis

Kurt Lundvall Mastering: “Guitarist Lefteris Christofis recently mastered his new album "ManTis". The album features Chico Freeman on Saxophone, Dominique Di Piazza on bass, Jacques Marugg on vibraphone and Nikos Touliatos on drums. I loved working on this album and enjoyed the chance to work with such an extraordinary musician”. Benedetto Guitars Artists:“Lefteris Christofis is our first Greek Artist/Endorser. He came to our attention via Pat Martino, and is clearly a top (and still rising) player and educator in Europe. Lefteris spent nearly a decade in London, and has worked/recorded with jazz greats Paul Wertico, Jeff Berlin, and Chico Freedman. He is a Blue Note artist and educator”. Joe Ferrari in Jazz Improv: “The Greek lyrical guitarist Lefteris Christofis is the kind of an artist who through his music transfers internal images, visions and scenes from the realm of reality and fantasy. “… upon further listening I began to hear Mr. Christofis unique voice. He writes wonderful compositions, evocative of a deep emotional landscape”. Lefteris Christofis has been on stage for more than 35 years presenting his music. Since the early eighties, he explores a variety of musical styles within the rock, jazz and fusion era and thus, travels to other countries, in an effort to discover his audience and share his personal ways of composing and improvising which led him to UK that stayed almost a decade. From 1990 to 1992, he took shelter at the Anglia (Ruskin) University in Cambridge whereas the head minister of the Musical Department Peter Britton introduced him to the Eastern Arts Association Board which funded the concert with his “Cosmic Band” at the Mumford Theater. As a member of the APU Jazz Orchestra performed in many venues and festivals and participated as guitarist in the album “First Cuts”. The following years 1993-1996, he moved to London, continued to experiment with various musical styles and ways of compositions and he often performed with his band Chris Dagley on drums, Mark Ong on bass and Steve Turner on keyboards. Traveling between London and Athens he released two personal albums “Mythoplasia” (1996) and “Kalesma - Lefteris Christofis with British Friends” (1998). In 1998, when he returned to Athens he founded the Music Center Athens - “Center of Musical Ensembles & Improvisation” while teaching in major music schools and giving workshops concerning his personal project “From the Improvisation to Composition” . In 2005, his third album “Nous Icons” was released by Blue Note Records, co - produced by the ‘7 times Grammy Award winner’ drummer Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny Group) and got remarkable reviews from critics all over the world..

He has collaborated as orchestrator with the saxophonist Chico Freeman and as a guitarist participated in the project ‘One Olympics’ of the Magnetics Poets which was presented in the Winter Olympics Games in Torino 2006. Lefteris Christofis has been endorsed by the Benedetto Guitars and as a Benedetto Artist - he has performed and demonstrated his extraordinary guitar Bravo Deluxe 40th Anniversary in New York and he also participated in the Benedetto Guitars Performance with the president of Benedetto Guitars & guitarist Howard Paul. Lefteris Christofis has performed and collaborated with many top musicians from the USA and European jazz scene such as Paul Wertico, Jeff Berlin, Chico Freeman, Barbara Unger, Howard Paul, Pete Lewinson, Dominique Dipiazza, James Mack, Julian Landymore, James Hayden, Jacques Marugg etc. In 2016, he released his fourth album “ManTis” with the Christofis Group which consists of Lefteris Christofis on guitars & vocals, Dominique Di Piazza on bass, Jacques Marugg on vibraphone, Nikos Touliatos on drums and as special guest Chico Freeman on saxophone. www.christofis.com – [email protected] Show less