Friday, February 10th
Doors: 7:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Born in Toronto, ON, on March 24th, 1972, Greek-Jewish Canadian musician Ilios
Steryannis started drumming at the age of 12. Inspired by the power and artistry
of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, he pounded on a practice pad and an old
set of bongo drums until his father lovingly presented him with a brand new Tama
Royalstar drumset, with Paiste cymbals, for his 13th birthday. Since then, Ilios and
the drums have been inseparable.
Ilios’ latest project, the Babylonia Ensemble, pays tribute to his Iraqi Jewish and
Greek roots with a six part suite of Middle Eastern jazz. The instrumentation is an
entrancing mix of clarinet, cello, piano, bass and drums. A variety of moods and
rhythms are explored, and there is traditional Iraqi Jewish music in the mix as
well, composed by the legendary Al-Kuwaity brothers of Baghdad.
