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Billy Pod

Vassilis Podaras (aka Billy Pod) was born in Athens,Greece in 1988.

He started playing drums at the age of 11. His musical studies include 6 years of classical piano and violin lessons. At the age of 18 he was accepted at the jazz department of the Ionian university of Corfu and 5 years later he got his Bachelor degree and later his Masters degree in jazz performance.

From 2009 he is one of the most active musicians in the Greek jazz scene collaborating and performing internationally at festivals and venues in Europe,USA and Asia. Tivon Pennicott, Jd Walter , Emmet Cohen ,Rufus Reid ,Bobby Sanabria ,Manfred Schoof ,Olivier Temime ,Timo Lassy ,Dean Bowman ,George Kontrafouris ,Takis Paterelis ,Vasilis Rakopoulos ,Dimos Dimitriadis ,Dimitri Vasilakis ,Vasilis Xenopoulos ,Nikolas Anadolis among others are some of his latest collaborations.

He is member of the band the Next Step Quintet (latest release feat.Tivon Pennicott).

His debut album as a leader 'Drums to heal society' is out in February 2019 by Puzzlemusik label.

Performance highlights:

-Pori Jazz Festival 2010

-IASJ International Meeting 2012 in Austria

-London Jazz Festival 2015

-Taichung Jazz Festival 2016

-Odessa Jazz Festival 2016

-Made in NY Jazz Gala 2016 (New York)

Awards:

1st place in the small band category at the International Made in NY jazz competition 2016.

Related Selected Discography:

-Βilly Pod , Drums to heal society ,2019 (ΤΒR ) (Puzzlemusik )

-The Next Step Quintet,The next step quintet 2013 (puzzlemusik)

-The Next Step Quintet feat.Tivon Pennicott, ll. 2015 (puzzlemusik)

-George Kontrafouris Baby trio, Urban Jazz , 2012 (Puzzlemusik)

-Vassilis Rakopoulos Quintet, Live at MIET ,2017

-George Kostopoulos, Last trip to the Moon, 2016

-Yiorgos Georgiadis ,Taksidi ,2017 (The lyst records)

-Ntinos Manos Quartet , After the storm , 2018 (Ankh records)

-Michalis Katachanas quartet ,Trito Chreos (TBR) 2018

-Dionisis Savopoulos,Eleni Vitali live Zontanoi sto Kyttaro 2016, (Feelgood Records)

Awards

Made in New York jazz competition 2016. 1st place in small band category with the Next Step Quintet, performing as an honour guest at the Tribeca Performing arts centre in New York.


Tags

18
Album Review

Talinka: Rainbow Over Kolonaki

Read "Rainbow Over Kolonaki" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


These four UK-based artists produce an all-inclusive world view, interlaced with time-honored standards, jazz, ethnocentric frontiers and conventional wisdom amid a music without borders mindset, enhanced by Tali Azmon's full-bodied sultry vocals and emotive output characterized by Billie Holliday and other great jazz divas. In addition to her blustery choruses, she also augments the set by playing the ukulele while often intimating that she lives and breathes the stories of each song. This internationally recognized band garners support ...

8
Album Review

Billy Pod: Drums To Heal Society

Read "Drums To Heal Society" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann


Athens-based drummer Vassilis Podaras, going by the name of Billy Pod, has been an active musician on the contemporary Greek jazz scene for over ten years and now decides it's the right time to record and release his debut album Drums To Heal Society. With the exception of Feist's “Limit To Your Love," all of the pieces are self-penned and demonstrate a musician who is both a versatile composer and a subtle drummer with an ear for melody.

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1

Recording

Billy Pod Releases An Exciting New Album 'Quintessence'

Billy Pod Releases An Exciting New Album 'Quintessence'

Source: Billy Pod

London’s vibrant scene is widely known as an international hub for some of the world’s most forward-thinking jazz musicians. Greek drummer Billy Pod brings together a cast of homegrown musicians and fellow expats for his sophomore album Quintessence is set to release on November 4th. The record follows his 2019 release Drums to Heal Society which saw him named by the French Magazine Batterie as one of the Top 10 New and Upcoming Drummers and facilitated a move from Athens ...

6

Recording

Greek drummer and composer Billy Pod releases Drums to Heal Society on Puzzlemusik

Greek drummer and composer Billy Pod releases Drums to Heal Society on Puzzlemusik

Source: Billy Pod

Drums to Heal Society—contemporary jazz that draws on elements of free improvisation, pop-electronica and rock to create a sound of unified diversity mirroring human experience in modern society. “Billy is an accomplished composer and arranger with both a great command of his instrument and the sensitivity to create authentic music with others.’’ —Tivon Pennicott, Saxophonist for Gregory Porter Drums to Heal Society is the debut release of Greek drummer and composer Vassilis Podaras (aka Billy Pod). The eleven-track album is ...

“Billy is an accomplished composer and arranger with both a great command of his instrument and the sensitivity to create authentic music with others.’’ Tivon Pennicott, saxophonist for Gregory Porter

“This new artist to us at UK Vibe features a high calibre roster {...} As per any respectable bandleader, Vassilis Podaras is as comfortable in the background as he is in the foreground... There’s a community spirit here.” Damien Wilkes ,UK vibe

"... finds his own balance through uncomplicated structures and persuasive aesthetics that facilitate the listening." Filipe Frietas , Jazz Trail

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Quintessence

Puzzlemusik
2022

buy

Rainbow Over Kolonaki

MoonJune Records
2020

buy

Remains (Live at Jazz...

Re-Define Productions
2019

buy

Drums to heal society

From: Drums To Heal Society
By Billy Pod

Videos

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