Μανώλης Μικέλης

Manolis Mikelis was a Greek jazz pianist. Born in 1924 - Died in 1990. Mikelis with a few other Greek musicians became the first group to play jazz in post-war Greece to great acclaim. In 1950, Mikelis moved to posh Beirut, Lebanon, where he remained for four years. He then played gigs in Italy and Paris, a jazz center then. But jazz work for non-Americans and non-French was difficult to come by. So Mikelis moved on to Frankfurt, Germany, to play on bases where U.S. Forces were stationed as well as at the Domicil du Jazz, an after-hours club there. After a short time in Morocco, he he lived in Spain for four years. He returned to post civil war-torn Greece in 1962. The new Athens Hilton's Galaxy Bar (above) became his home for 12 years. After the Hilton period, Mikelis became a fixture of the Athens jazz scene, jamming with all the greats who visited in the 1970s, such as Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Grady Tate and Monty Alexander. Mikelis also recorded for film, playing piano and vibes.