Saxophonist Stratos Vougas was born in Athens in 1967. His musical studies were initiated at the age of five, with a series of piano lessons both one-to-one as well as at the Athens Conservatory. After he successfully completed his classical piano studies, jazz won him over and led to his intensive saxophone training.

The interim between 1993 and 1995 found Stratos Vougas in New York, where he collaborated with a handful of established jazz musicians, thus gaining invaluable experience. His return to Greece brought on a series of concerts in various Athens jazz clubs as well as throughout the country. Among the musicians he worked with were trumpeter Dusko Goykovich, drummer Vincent Ector, drummer John Vidacovich, drummer Phoenix Rivera, bassist Olivier Gatto, bassist James Lewis, drummer Steve Philips, and vocalists Carla Cook, Deborah Davis, Kysia Bostic, Jann Parker and Georgia Brown, to name but a few.

In 1997, as a member of the Jazz Crew group, Stratos Vougas recorded with Makis Ablianitis the CD Makis Ablianitis & the Jazz Crew.

In January 1998, Stratos Vougas recorded his first personal CD titled Stratos Vougas Quartet: Breaking Loose for MBI Records. This was the first personal CD by a Greek jazz saxophone player to be released.

On January 21, 1998, Stratos Vougas performed with George Fakanas’s group at the Athens Concert Hall.

Stratos Vougas’s second personal CD was released by Legend Recordings in January 2000. Stratos Vougas Quartet: A Tribute to Hank Mobley pays homage to a sax legend, whose trajectory in the jazz milieu helped shape the nature of the genre. The CD features famous American drummer Vincent Ector, who visited Greece for the sole purpose of this recording.

In Greece and worldwide, Stratos Vougas performs with the most noteworthy jazz musicians.

The Stratos Vougas Jazz Quartet consists of:
Stratos Vougas, saxophone
George Georgiades, bass
Alex Ktistakis, drums
Sami Amiris, piano

http://www.stratosvougas.com/

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