Michel Hatzigeorgiou
Encyclopedia
Michel Hatzigeorgiou is a Belgian bassist
. He was born in Belgium from Greek
parents. He started playing bouzouki
at the age of 9, then switched to electric guitar
at 11 and finally to electric bass
at 14. He joined his first band "The Blackbirds" when he was student at Charleroi Technical University. In 1982, he attended the jazz
seminar in Liège. At that time, he played with Jaco Pastorius
(his main influence), Mike Stern
and Belgian jazzmen like Toots Thielemans
, Ivan Paduart, Steve Houben
, Philip Catherine
and Pierre Van Dormael
.
He was then involved in the De Kaai project and in Nasa Na Band, precursor of Aka Moon
, the band he formed with Fabrizio Cassol
and Stéphane Galland
. Hatzigeorgiou has been teaching at the Brussels
conservatory
since 1998.
His band Variations on A Love Supreme
also has released an album of the same name. He has also played in the Erwin Vann Group and Toots Thielemans Quartet.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. He was born in Belgium from Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
parents. He started playing bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
at the age of 9, then switched to electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
at 11 and finally to electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
at 14. He joined his first band "The Blackbirds" when he was student at Charleroi Technical University. In 1982, he attended the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
seminar in Liège. At that time, he played with Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
(his main influence), Mike Stern
Mike Stern
Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
and Belgian jazzmen like Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgian jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his whistling. Thielemans is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century...
, Ivan Paduart, Steve Houben
Steve Houben
Steve Houben is a Belgian jazz saxophonist and flutist. He was born in 1950. In the mid 1970s, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Houben created on his return to Belgium the jazz seminar at the Liège conservatory, in association with Henri Pousseur. In his long career he played...
, Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine is a Belgian jazz guitarist.-Biography:He was born in London from an English mother and Belgian father....
and Pierre Van Dormael
Pierre Van Dormael
Pierre Van Dormael , born in Brussels, Uccle, was a Belgian musician and composer.In 1988, he played with the James Baldwin Project with a.o. David Linx and Deborah Brown , Slide Hampton , Diederik Wissels , Bob Stewart and Michel Hatzigeorgiou...
.
He was then involved in the De Kaai project and in Nasa Na Band, precursor of Aka Moon
Aka Moon
Aka Moon is a Belgian avant-garde jazz band. Saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and drummer Stéphane Galland are the founding members of the core trio...
, the band he formed with Fabrizio Cassol
Fabrizio Cassol
Fabrizio Cassol is a Belgian saxophonist and the first user of the aulochrome .He was born in Ougrée, Belgium. Between 1982 and 1985, he studied at the Liège conservatory and obtained a first prize for saxophone while majoring in chamber music. He graduated in improvisation and composition...
and Stéphane Galland
Stéphane Galland
Stéphane Galland is a Belgian drummer.He got his first drumset at the age of 3 and six years later, he entered the Huy conservatory, from which he graduated in 1987. When he was 11, he started to perform with jazz musicians like Eric Legnini and Jean-Pierre Catoul...
. Hatzigeorgiou has been teaching at the Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
conservatory
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
since 1998.
His band Variations on A Love Supreme
Variations on A Love Supreme
Variations on A Love Supreme is a jazz album composed by Fabrizio Cassol and Kris Defoort. It contains variations on A Love Supreme, the classic jazz album by the John Coltrane quartet...
also has released an album of the same name. He has also played in the Erwin Vann Group and Toots Thielemans Quartet.