Steel string guitar and vocals from the great Giorgos Katsaros, a mythical figure of Greek Rembetiko. Our obsession with Greek underground music continues with 10 ultra-rare recordings of heartbreak and vice from Rembetiko legend Giorgos Katsaros. Katsaros, who is rumored to have lived to be over 100 years old, brought the ancient songs of Greece to the diaspora in the United States, bridging centuries of music in a single, storied lifetime.

Born in 1901 on the Greek island of Amorgos, Katsaros was enamored with the songs he picked up as a child on the streets of Piraeus and Athens. Encouraged by his grandfather, an amateur singer, Katsaros developed a style that reflected his upbringing – centuries-old songs of Asia Minor, island rhythms of his homeland, well-known Athenian songs of the time and anonymous “rebetiko” songs. Katsaros’ songbook was extensive, but he was most drawn to the street life and music of the Manges in early 20th century Greece: Outcasts dealing with the indignities of an unstable economy and an uncertain future with the old standards: Wine, hashish and dancing. These ten tracks have been remastered from Katsaros’ 64 surviving early recordings, many of which have barely been heard since their original release. Hypnotic melodies, plucked over repetitive, thumb-picked bass lines, underpin his deep, melancholy voice. Katsaros brought this nostalgic night music to the smoke-filled rooms of Greek exiles in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York, where he emigrated in 1917.

He continued to travel and play across the country until his music was supplanted by more modern styles in the 1950s. He retired to the town of Tarpon Springs, FL, famous for its Greek sponge fishermen, until a late revival in the 1990s brought him back to Greece, where he gave several major concerts and received national acclaim. Like many great artists, Katsaros has carefully pieced together his own mythical backstory over the decades. He sometimes claimed to have been born in 1888, making him a 109-year-old when he passed away, and conflicting accounts of his birth and travels circulate to this day.

Greek researchers Stavros Kourousis and Konstantinos Kopanitsanos, who also compiled these titles, contribute groundbreaking new historical research into Katsaros’ life. The song lyrics, poetically translated by Tony Klein, complete the picture. The clean and rare 78s have been remastered by Stereophonic. Katsaros has never sounded better than on this LP, pressed on heavyweight black vinyl, with extensive notes and lyrics.

1. The Upper Village of Syros
2. Look What a Mangas I Am
3. Now I Take Them
4. Sometimes Black, Sometimes White
5. The Tavern and the Dice
6. Last Night at Garipi’s
7. All Day He Plays Dice
8. And Why Don’t You Tell Us?
9. Since You Don’t Want Me As Your Partner
10. The Doctor