Live music all week long

Whether it is a mid-week or a weekend outing you are after, the live music venues of the island are keeping performances going throughout July. Adding to the summer high with all of the events and festivals taking place are a few intimate live music sessions from local musicians.

Sarah’s Jazz Club is bringing back its summer jazz jam sessions for one night only. On July 13, four well-known Cypriot jazz musicians are taking the stage for another one of their improv sessions. Charis Ioannou on the saxophone, Christos Yerolatsitis on the Hammond organ, and Kyriakos Kesta and Marios Spyrou on drums will fill the local Nicosia bar with lovely jazz sounds from 9.30pm onwards.

On the following day another local bar will host a Cypriot band for an evening of rock, blues, funk and jazz. The Funked Up Project was put together by three friends who share the same thing: a love for music. It started a few years back as an idea which eventually became reality, with the sole purpose of making fine music. The three-member band of Pavlos Gregoras on vocals, Christos Pechlivanis on keys and vocals, and Nickolas Filippou on percussion will be at Evergreen Vegan & Vegetarian to entertain Nicosians.

Limassol’s old town too has something planned for music lovers and on Sunday July 17, Mason Bar will welcome the Mendonis Big Band to its courtyard. The large jazz ensemble consists of 17 musicians who will take up the bar’s garden floor to present a lively and impressive repertoire. The project was founded by Petros Mendonis who is also responsible for the arrangements and conducting the musical compositions. The idea behind the big band is to have original compositions and to promote authenticity with new sounds.

The music that will be presented in the evening is a combination of various rhythms used in jazz as well as rich harmonic content with storytelling melodies. Several saxophones, brass instruments as well as a firm rhythm section of drums, piano, bass, guitar and percussions will perform accompanied by unique orchestrations, producing musical experiences, the likes of which are not regularly heard in Cyprus.

Summer Jazz Jam Sessions

With Charis Ioannou, Christos Yerolatsitis, Kyriakos Kesta and Marios Spyrou. July 13. Sarah’s Jazz Club, Nicosia. Doors open 8.30pm, live music 9.30pm. €10. Tel: 95-147711

The Funked Up Project

Local band plays blues, rock and funk. July 14. Evergreen Vegan & Vegetarian, Nicosia. 9pm. €3. Tel: 99-855919

Mendonis Big Band

17-member jazz ensemble. July 17. Mason Bar, Limassol. 9pm. €10. Tel: 99-211280