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Music Soup: Upbeat Mood

By Nicholas F. Mondello
September 15, 2024
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Upbeat Mood from Music Soup, comprised of Athens, Greece-based guitarist

Nestor Dimopoulos

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Nestor Dimopoulos, Hammond B-3 organist

Evgenia Karlafti

organ, Hammond B3

" data-original-title="" title="">Evgenia Karlafti and drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">Vagelis Kotzabasis, delivers eight enjoyable and upbeat swinging selections. Seven are originals from either Dimopoulos, Karlafti alone, or co-written. There is intelligent playing and fine soloing throughout.

"Korean Apartment" opens things and is a fast straight-ahead burner. Dimopoulos states the melody before stretching on an extended solo. Evgenia Karlafti's organ comps in both counterpoint and chordal pops, as well as providing deep-swinging bass lines. She solos using both pin-point fragments and extended lines. Drummer, Kotzabasis leans and pushes things up to a press roll and final melodic statement. Studio microphones pick up a voice offering acknowledgement of a good take. "A Day in the Park" is a sway-stroll with Dimopoulos and Karlafti alternating over Kotzabasis' brushes. This is a Dimopoulos original. The vibe is upbeat and swinging. Karlafti solos with blue overtones, before bringing block chords into the mix. No "stadium organ" here, she cooks. A terrific, engaging track. "Around the World" brings the pace back up with a bit of a Latin vibe. Guest Kym Purling joins the trio on piano before Karlafti's B-3 and Dimopoulos offer rides.

Dimopoulous makes no effort to withhold his admiration for hard-bop guitarists such as

Grant Green

guitar
1935 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Grant Green, pre-Verve

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery and

Kenny Burrell

guitar, electric
b.1931

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Burrell. He is a technical master, deftly constructing his solos forays. Karlafti is an obvious acolyte of the great Blue Note organists

Jimmy Smith

organ, Hammond B3
1925 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Smith and

Big John Patton

organ, Hammond B3
1935 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Big John Patton et al. With

Joey DeFrancesco

organ, Hammond B3
1971 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Joey DeFrancesco sadly gone, Karlafti (along with

Tony Monaco

organ, Hammond B3
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Monaco is a Hammond talent worthy of note. Kotzabasis is very much in uno with his bandmates.

"My Little Red Book," a rather obscure Burt Bacharach-Hal David song is a varied piece with a pulsed melody, up-tempo with non-traditional chord changes. It is a lesser track on the album. "Freeland (To OP With Love)" is Karlafti's homage to pianist

Oscar Peterson

piano
1925 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Peterson The composition's title is a combination of Peterson titles "Hymn to Freedom" and "Wheatland." Karlafti's take is expansive with a light rock-gospel groove. She offers the melody over same before Dimopoulos and the organist offer longer solos.. "Fun Island" is a lighter rock track which adds Kym Purling's piano to the organ trio. After a line clich�� intro Dimopoulos states the catchy melody before soloing. Karlafti adds organ soul before Purling also rides. And what would a 1960s Blue Note jazz organ group be without a boogaloo blues side? "Appointment in Athens" here is such a track. The addition of trumpeter Hengry Gergen is a fine production touch. After doubling the hip melody with Dimopoulos and a burner Karlafti solo, he crafts a tasty

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan-like solo, adding soaring altissimo licks. Dimopoulos joins to add spice to the cooking while rhythm drives things. It is a fine closer.

Upbeat Mood is just that.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Korean Apartment, A Day in the Park, Around the World, My Little Red Book, Freeland (To OP with Love), Fun Island, Upbeat Mood, Appointment in Athens.

Personnel

Music Soup

band / ensemble / orchestra

Nestor Dimopoulos

guitar

Evgenia Karlafti

organ, Hammond B3

Vagelis Kotzabasis

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Kym Purling: piano (3,6); Hengry Gergen: trumpet (8).

Album information

Title: Upbeat Mood | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Chicken Coup Records

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