About Manos Saridakis

Emmanuel Saridakis was born in Athens, Greece on 1977. At the young age of 12 he was already performing with school bands, and by the age of 14, had already appeared on television nationally in Greece.

Emmanuel joined Dimitrios Vassilakis quartet in 1993 at the age of 15,  establishing  him self as a kid prodigy to the professional Greek music scene. Joining Takis Barberis band in 1997 gave Saridakis his first recording experience when he participated on Barberis’ Naiva CD. Released in 1998, Naiva was on the top of the charts in Greece.

In 1999 Emmanuel joined Mode Plagal. This experimental group combines the traditional music of Northern Greece with elements of African American music.  The band created a new “mainstream” on the Greek music scene that received recognition not only all over Greece, but also in other countries in Europe, Asia, and America. They received 5 snares in “Modern Drummer” for the first CD. The 2nd CD was voted 96 on the World Music Charts in Europe for 2000, and the 3rd CD has reached the Top 20’s of the charts in Greece,  and was voted No 13 in the Top 20 of the WMCE (World Music Charts Europe) in March 2002, and No 33 in the TOP 100 for the Year 2002.

During that time Emmanuel participates also on Dimitris Vassilakis “Daedalus Project-Labyrinth”. This album was album of the month for the BBC music magazine March 2002 and was voted 2nd jazz album of the year 2002 at the BBC Internet poll.

In 2006 he earned a place in the top 25 best jazz piano players in the world under the age of thirty in the prestigious Thelonius Monk competition.

Emmanuel  has also recorded and/or performed with America Jazz & Rock artist such us: David Liebman  (sop. sax), Mark Johnson (bass ), Ralph Peterson (drums), Jamey Haddad (drums, percussion), Melissa Slowcum (bass), Essiet Essiet (bass) Ron McClure ( bass ) Satoshi Takesi ( drums, perc. ) Bill Derby (guitar), Todd Isler (drums), Kenny Rampton (Trumpet), Lily White (sax) Andrea Valentini (drums), Bud Maltin Orchestra, Vali Music, Power Stacion Orchestra; and European artists, Bulgarian master of kaval Theodosii Spassov, Kostas Anastasiadis (drums), Petros Loukas Halkias (Clarinet), Savina Gianatou (Vocals) Kostas Theodorou (bass), Arleta, Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Aggelos & Stelios Dionisiou, Yiota Vei, Dimitris Basis, Sotiria Leonardou, etc.

He has been seen in major festivals, concert halls, clubs and in Private Functions such as: Birdland, Blue Note, Yale University, Smoke, Cleopatras Needle, Pumpkins, Sugar Hill Bistro, 17 MAIN ,Assembly, South City Grill, Palmers Crossing, Onassis Foundation, World Yacht Club, The Princeton Club, The Penn Club, NYC Athletic Club, The Hilton Hotel, The Marriott Hotel, The Pier Hotel, The Skyline Club at Met Life Building, Barbican (UK), Athens Concert Hall (GR) , 1st and 2nd ETHNIC-JAZZ festival in Athens (2000-1), NATIONAL PERCUSSION FESTIVAL,  Half Note Jazz Club, Parafono,  Diogenis Pallas, Iera Odos , Sfedona, Hi-Hat, Bebop, President Hotel, Intercontinetal Hotel, The Hilton Hotel etc.