Listening to “The Armenian”—the opening track from Yiannis Kasseta’s seventh album, “Far” and inspired by pianist Tigran Hamasyan—one is immediately drawn into a dynamic Eastern jazz theme, serving as a first-class invitation to an inner world. Here, Kassetas also explores the contemporary jazz landscape alongside a team of outstanding musicians, remaining in sync with the international scene while drawing from a rich reservoir of diverse eras, styles, and ideas.
Video credits:
Musicians: Yiannis Kassetas: tenor saxophone, composition/ Dimitris Papadopoulos: trumpet/ Costis Christodoulou: piano/ Grigoris Theodoridis: bass/ Dimitris Klonis: drums/ Recorded and mixed at Artrack Studios by George Priniotakis/ Special thanks to Christos Alexopoulos of Puzzlemusik label and Katerina Kamperi for the Artwork (cover).
.
Yiannis Kassetas
An endlessly exploratory musician who balances improvisation and deep reflection of what the music represents and communicates. Yiannis Kassetas spent his formative years at the Conservatory of Nakas with acclaimed Professor Dimitri Vassilakis and Berklee College, where he took his first scholarship at the age of 15. His discography reflects he’s a sax player comfortable in numerous settings, particularly jazz funk.
Watching his progression across his albums “East n’ Blues” (2014), “Northern Lights” (2017), “Lucid Dream” (2023), and now “Far” (2025), we can observe a trajectory of refinement, both in compositional approach and instrumental execution. “Northern Lights” was considered his best work mainly because of the challenges he set himself, and his willingness to push boundaries—in harmonic complexity and structural experimentation. The aesthetic outcome was praised, meaning these challenges didn’t just serve as an intellectual exercise but contributed to a compelling listening experience. “Lucid Dream” marked further the artist’s progress in balancing composition and performance, showing a clearer structural intent. The move towards concision suggests a refined understanding of form—where improvisation and composition are interwoven more seamlessly.
In 2025, Yiannis Kassetas returns with “Far”, and its defining aspect is its economy and honesty. The album consists entirely of the musician’s original compositions, drawing inspiration from the impressionism of Claude Debussy, the idiosyncratic jazz of Tigran Hamasyan, and the contemporary jazz scene of New York.
His artistic journey showcases a thoughtful evolution from ambitious experimentation to a more distilled, focused expression. If his previous work was about pushing boundaries, now he seems to know exactly which boundaries to push and which to leave alone. This reflects a deepening of his artistry—where technique and expression are no longer competing but are in full alignment.
Connect with the artist
Leave a comment
Comments
