RockOverdose and Angelos Chatzigiannis are pleased to host Jazz Sabbath, the dynamic trio of Adam Wakeman.
As part of their upcoming European tour, Jazz Sabbath will visit Greece presenting some of the most famous rock n roll tracks, in their original groovy jazz form.
TICKETS
December 21 @ Thessaloniki, Mylos
December 22 @Gazarte | Main Stage, Athens
RockOverdose: Good evening guys & welcome you on our site! I’m contacting you in light of your upcoming live performances in Athens and Thessaloniki, as we hope to learn as much as we can about you.
Jazz Sabbath: We're very happy to be invited to Greece. Our first time playing here
RockOverdose: Everybody on this planet knows Black Sabbath. Yet a parallel universe in which the progenitors of all things metal have stolen all their ideas from a jazz act is a rather intriguing prospect. What is the story behind Jazz Sabbath’s inception?
Jazz Sabbath:This whole idea happened in 2013, seven years ago when I was in Berlin on a Black Sabbath tour. I had been out for some drinks with some friends and I met up with one of Sabbath’s security guards, who I met in the bar at the hotel. And there was no one else in there. So I just sat at the piano and I just thought it would be funny to play through the Sabbath set list in a kind of drunk jazz style. Just to amuse myself really. Then I went to bed that night thinking, wouldn’t it be funny if somebody in the late Sixties had actually thought they’d written all the songs, and then that started to develop the character of Milton Keanes and the whole story.
So it’s been a project in progress for quite some time, although I hadn’t told anybody about it for years, I just wanted to get the documentary written and I wanted to make sure the album worked.
RockOverdose: As members of Jazz Sabbath, you have adopted fictional backstories, which come with vintage vibes, aliases and everything. Do these made-up personas have a hidden meaning, or are they just a way to empower the band’s identity?
Jazz Sabbath: The story behind the album and the music are tied together, so it's logical that we keep up the personas during the live shows as well. We are from the Sixties.
The albums also feature a lot of guest musicians that you may know. You will never know who they are though, because they are listed under their pseudonym name as well.
RockOverdose: I understand that founding member ADAM Wakeman (or should I say Milton Keanes?) is still touring with Ozzy as of today, and has also performed alongside Black Sabbath in the past. What is your relationship with these musicians and what do they think about your unique renditions of their original songs?
Jazz Sabbath: I'm very honoured to count Ozzy as a friend as well as a "Boss". As an Artist he is unique. His voice, his writing style, his phrasing and everything about him is Ozzy Osbourne. There's only a handful of artists like that in the World. He is a very special man to so many people. I've toured around the world so many times with him and seen the effect he and his music has on people.
I've had lovely positive feedback from Ozzy and all the band. I wouldn't have pursued this project without their approval anyway so I'm glad they like it; that means a lot to me.
RockOverdose: Jazz is a genre of music that requires versatility and creativity, yet metal leans heavily (pun intended) on basic patterns and a typical song structure. How difficult is the transition between the original, heavier versions of Black Sabbath and your own softer and more melodic adaptations?
Jazz Sabbath: It helps that I had played the material so many times with the band, which meant I could adapt them into my own jazz style arrangements fairly easily.
There are many, many Black Sabbath songs to choose from, so in arranging these, I literally sat at a piano, and if the song worked quickly, I worked on it.
If nothing came naturally, then I moved on to another song. Once I had 7 or 8 tracks that I felt would work, I would start piecing together the parts and sections and writing new sections.
RockOverdose: Jazz Sabbath, despite all the playful antics, is considered by many as a tribute to Black Sabbath’s legacy. Will this status be maintained for the future, or are there plans for original material as well?
Jazz Sabbath: In our world it IS original material. Jazz Sabbath plays the songs written between 1968 and 1969 and that's 2 albums now. The band also played a lot of other songs live in the late Sixties, so maybe someday those will see the light of day.
RockOverdose: What kind of music fans attend your shows? Are there more metalheads who look forward to experience a new kind of Black Sabbath concert, or are there more casual enthusiasts who enjoy the jazz part?
Jazz Sabbath: When I started I thought the audience would be 90% metal fans and a few Jazz fans. As it turns out, it's more like 10% Metal fans and the rest Jazz and general music lovers. The majority don't know that I play with Ozzy and have played with Sabbath for 20 years, or that my father is Rick Wakeman. I dress as an 85 year old man with grey hair etc, so that probably confuses a few people.
RockOverdose: We would like you to share your thoughts regarding your first visit in Greece. How do you feel about performing in our country and what are your expectations from these shows?
Jazz Sabbath: We're looking forward to playing in Thessaloniki and Athens. It's very special that a project like this gets to play 2 big shows in Greece in such a short time since the first album release. The promoter told us tickets are selling fast, so it's already looking positive.
Audiences react differently in every country and it's always a surprise to see how this project works live in a new country.
RockOverdose: Finally, it would mean a lot to our site if we had a special message coming from Jazz Sabbath to all the Greek fans who will attend your shows on 21/12 and 22/12, in Thessaloniki and Athens respectively.
Jazz Sabbath: We can't wait to play these shows and hope to see you there. At the end of the day, it's all a celebration of the music which has changed so many people's lives. We're just approaching it from a different perspective.
Metalheads might walk out of the venue as a jazz fan. Jazz fans might walk out of the venue and look up Black Sabbath.
On behalf of RockOverdose,
Angelos Chatzigiannis
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