Village Voice

Date/Time:Fri., October 9, 8:00pm

Mavrothi Kontanis & the Maeandros Ensemble
BY RICHARD GEHR

The youngish Greek-American oud player Mavrothi Kontanis and his
terrific quintet (featuring Greek clarinet star Lefteris Bournias)
breath new life into the Smyrneika cabaret sound and bluesier rebetika
standards of pre-war Greece. Emotional yet virtuosic, Kontanis and
company unwind their sensuous dance tunes and nostalgic laments with
vigor and deliberation, reimagining a world in which Greek, Turkish,
and Armenian styles blended together.