The Greek band, "Small Blues Trap" has been
around for nine years. The band members are: Paul Karapiperis (vocals,
harmonica, steel guitar, keyboards), Panagiotis Daras (lead &
rhythm electric guitar), Lefteris Besios (electric bass) and Stathis
Evageliou (drums, percussion) . In their latest album “The Longest Road
I know”, the band is assisted by the singer Georgia Sylleou in four
songs. In 2004, the “Small Blues Trap” recorded their first album that
contained known blues covers but arranged with their personal style and
influence. In 2005, they cut the “Our Trap” album that had 12 songs
all written by them. In 2006, they released the album “Crossroad
Ritual” (blues / blues rock) and in 2010 another album titled “Red
Snakes and Cave Bats” (also blues / blues rock). All of the songs were
written by the band members with the exception of “Buy a Dog” which was
written by Elias Zaikos and previously performed by him and his band,
the Blues Wire, a very popular Greek blues group with Mr. Zaikos being
the front man of that band. Since their first album, the style of the
group has remained the same with influences drawn from several other
styles besides blues such as classic rock and jazz.
Artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin 'Wolf, Little Walter, Albert King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson (1 & 2), Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, Tampa Red, Son House, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Campbell, Paul Butterfield, Peter Green, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, The Doors ... and many others are very important for the group. Their music can be described as vintage, with a lot of their own passion and emotion. The songs are about love, pain, poverty, loneliness, anger and other feelings, the typical elements of the blues.
GEORGIA SYLLEOU is a singer who was born in Thessaloniki, studied music and sang in Greece and Austria. She completed her studies in music and drama in the Netherlands and she has been a soloist in various ensembles. Since 1995 she has been working with writer / pianist Papadimitriou and since 2008 with pianist / composer Yiannis Fillippoupolitis.
Artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin 'Wolf, Little Walter, Albert King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson (1 & 2), Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, Tampa Red, Son House, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Campbell, Paul Butterfield, Peter Green, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, The Doors ... and many others are very important for the group. Their music can be described as vintage, with a lot of their own passion and emotion. The songs are about love, pain, poverty, loneliness, anger and other feelings, the typical elements of the blues.
GEORGIA SYLLEOU is a singer who was born in Thessaloniki, studied music and sang in Greece and Austria. She completed her studies in music and drama in the Netherlands and she has been a soloist in various ensembles. Since 1995 she has been working with writer / pianist Papadimitriou and since 2008 with pianist / composer Yiannis Fillippoupolitis.
The fifth album "The Longest Road I Know" contains
ten tracks four of which are sung by Georgia Sylleou. The ten long
titles do not allow us to suspect what the album is all about. As the
title of the album suggests, they are all looking for a way to escape
from the occasionally alienating reality. The songs sung by Sylleou
are: 1 "The Longest Road I Know" (the title track introduces us to that
guest singer whose voice has much drama, pathos and ... high notes.), 4
"I'm Nothing But A Good Man" (accompanied by Paul Karapiperis in
vocals and harmonica playing), 7 "When I Whisper My Fears To My Baby"
(a quiet song accompanied by an acoustic guitar, with many sensual
whispering. The addition of the harmonica brings magic to this song
and makes it a success) and the last track of the album 10 "Your
Mind Keeps Ramblin '" (a song with beautiful and long guitar solos). It is
easy to recognize that Sylleou is a classically trained singer with a
lot of experience. She sings from high to low, whispering, murmuring
with a lot of drama, passion and feeling. The songs that the group
brings without Sylleou, are similar in style and tragedy.
They sound very attractive, but dark, with lots of guitar effects and long harmonica interventions. 2 "It Sure Looks Funny" is the first song with Karapiperis on vocals. The song is a bit disturbing due to sometimes difficult to understand the pronunciation and the vocal theatrics employed in this song. Number 6 "Take Me Away From All of These" typifies this album. The group wants to focus on : pain, sorrow and poverty and abuse. 8 "Rememberin" The Good Ol 'Days "is a song by Daras, who also does the vocals. It is a long indictment full of nostalgia and memories. Number 9 "The Black Crow King" is epic but very little entertaining.
They sound very attractive, but dark, with lots of guitar effects and long harmonica interventions. 2 "It Sure Looks Funny" is the first song with Karapiperis on vocals. The song is a bit disturbing due to sometimes difficult to understand the pronunciation and the vocal theatrics employed in this song. Number 6 "Take Me Away From All of These" typifies this album. The group wants to focus on : pain, sorrow and poverty and abuse. 8 "Rememberin" The Good Ol 'Days "is a song by Daras, who also does the vocals. It is a long indictment full of nostalgia and memories. Number 9 "The Black Crow King" is epic but very little entertaining.
The fourth album "The Longest Road I Know" is a
chunk of Greek pathos and drama. Georgia Sylleou proves she is a
thoroughly trained classical singer and Paul Karapiperis, who wrote
most of the songs, a good harmonica player and guitarist. The numbers
are pretty tragic, dark and ethereal. The more bluesy style of the
previous albums won’t be found in this one. However, the album gets
thumbs up for its atmosphere and the many solos. There will be people
interested in this album, people who enjoy this kind of entertaining
and passionate music.
Eric Schuurmans
Al negen jaren bestaat de Griekse band “Small
Blues Trap”. De bandleden zijn Paul Karapiperis (zang, mondharmonica,
steel guitar, keyboards), Panagiotis Daras (lead & rhythm electric
guitar), Lefteris Besios (electric bass) en Stathis Evageliou (drums,
percussion) – op dit album vier maal bijgestaan door de zangeres
Featuring Georgia Sylleou. Ze hebben in deze periode vijf studio albums
uitgebracht. In 2004 “Small Blues Trap” met blues covers, waarmee hun
persoonlijke stijl en invloeden is vastgelegd. In 2005 brengen ze het
album ”Our Trap” met twaalf eigen blues nummers. In 2006 brengen ze
“Crossroad Ritual” (blues / blues rock) uit en in 2010 “Red Snakes
& Cave Bats” (blues / blues rock). Op dit album staan opnieuw
twaalf nieuwe songs en een cover / arrangement van “Buy A Dog”, een
nummer van een andere, de oudste en heel populaire Griekse blues groep
“Blues Wire” van frontman Elias Zaikos. Vanaf het éérste album is de
bezetting van de groep dezelfde gebleven. Hun stijl is beïnvloed door
meerdere andere stijlen als classic rock, jazz en natuurlijk ook blues.
Artiesten zoals Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Albert King,
Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson (1&2), Jimmy
Reed, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, Tampa Red, Son House, Robert
Johnson, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John
Campbell, Paul Butterfield, Peter Green, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart,
Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, The Doors...en nog vele
anderen zijn heel belangrijk voor de groep. Hun muziek kan omschreven
worden als vintage, met heel veel eigen passie en emotie. De nummers
gaan over liefde, pijn, armoede, eenzaamheid, woede en andere
gevoelens, die de typische elementen zijn van de blues. Zangeres GEORGIA
SYLLEOU is geboren in Thessaloníki , studeerde muziek en zong in
Griekenland en Oostenrijk. Ze studeerde muziek en dramatiek verder in
Nederland. Ze is soliste geweest in diverse ensembles. Vanaf 1995 werkt
ze samen met schrijver / pianist Papadimitriou en sinds 2008 met
pianist / componist Yiannis Fillippoupolitis.
Het vijfde album “The Longest Road I Know” bevat
tien tracks waarvan de zangeres Georgia Sylleou enkele nummers voor
haar rekening neemt. Tien lange titels laten ons niet direct vermoeden
waar het hier allemaal over gaat. Wat de titel van het album wel laat
vermoeden is, dat ze allen op zoek zijn naar een weg, om te kunnen
ontsnappen aan de soms vervreemde realiteit. Vier nummers zijn gezongen
door Georgia Sylliou: 1”The Longest Road I Know” (de titelsong en een eerste kennismaking met de gast zangeres. Veel dramatiek en pathos en … hoge noten), 4”I’m Nothing But A Good Man” (in de strofen afwisselend met Paul Karapiperis, die ook de mondharmonicapartij voor zich neemt), 7”When I Whisper My Fears To My Baby”
(een rustig nummer begeleid op akoestische gitaar, met veel sensueel
gefluister. Door de magie en de mondharmonica, een geslaagd nummer.) en
het laatste nummer van het album 10”Your Mind Keeps Ramblin’”
(een nummer met mooie en lange gitaarsolo’s). Sylliou laat duidelijk
horen dat ze een klassiek geschoolde zangeres is met heel veel
ervaring. Ze zingt van hoog naar laag, fluisterend, prevelend met veel
dramatiek, passie en emoties. De nummers die de groep brengt zonder
Sylleou, zijn vergelijkbaar qua stijl en tragiek. Ze klinken heel
sfeervol, maar donker, met heel veel gitaareffecten en lange
mondharmonica tussenkomsten. 2”It Sure Looks Funny” is het
éérste nummer met zang door Karapiperis. Storend is zijn soms moeilijke
(verstaanbare) uitspraak van het Engels en het te theatrale. Het
nummer 6”Take Me Away From All Of These” typeert dit album. De groep wil toestanden aanklagen: pijn, verdriet en armoede en wantoestanden. 8”Rememberin’ The Good Ol’ Days” is een nummer van Daras, die ook de zang doet. Het is een lange aanklacht vol van heimwee en herinneringen. Het nummer 9”The Black Crow King” is episch maar iets te weinig onderhoudend.
Het vierde album “The Longest Road I Know” is één
brok Griekse pathos en dramatiek. Georgia Sylleou laat horen dat ze een
gedegen geschoolde klassieke zangeres is en Paul Karapiperis, die de
meeste nummers zelf schreef, een goed mondharmonicaspeler en gitarist.
De nummers zijn vrij tragisch, donker en etherisch. De meer bluesy
stijl van de vorige albums vinden we niet uitgesproken terug in dit
album. Hier gaat in dit album op de eerste plaats om de sfeer en de
vele solo’s. Ook voor dit soort onderhoudende passionele muziek zal er
een geïnteresseerd publiek zijn.
