Formed in 1994 by Bob Becker, Fearless Records initially became known for launching the careers of respected punk rock acts such as Plain White T's, At The Drive-In, Bigwig, The Aquabats, and Sugarcult. In recent years, the Huntington Beach, CA label has become an internationally-renowned hotbed for up-and-coming rock bands, including Breathe Carolina, The Maine, Mayday Parade, The Word Alive, Motionless In White, Alesana and Every Avenue. The label recently signed multi-platinum act EVE 6. Fearless Records is also home to the "Punk Goes Series," which is one of the top themed compilation series available. 

Saint Alexander’s Choir was founded by Ioannis Kottoros, Cantor at Saint Alexander’s Church in Palaion Faliron, in 1943 and conducted by him until 2006. However, the existence of a primary form of the Choir conducted by Agesilaos Papantoniou and then Ioannis Kottoros in succession is traced in 1930s.

Since its foundation the Choir has had an exclusive and leading position in the parish ecclesiastical music, and, like Saint Alexander’s Church, follows the eastern orthodox doctrine and comes under the Holy Metropolis of Nea Smyrni. Both the Choir and the former conductor Ioannis Kottoros have been awarded several times; 
recently, in 2005, they were honoured with the Golden Cross of Apostle Paul by His Beatitude the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Christodoulos.

The Choir consists totally of men and performs the choral part during the Divine Liturgy in Saint Alexander’s Church every Sunday (10.20 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.) of its operational year, which begins on the first Sunday of November and lasts until mid-April. Additionally, it sings the “Hymn by Kassiani” of Holy Wednesday Matins (Sequence of Bridegroom, Holy Tuesday, approx. 20.30) every two years.

The main feature of the Choir is non-instrumental (a capella) polyphonic music for male voice, four-part (TTBB) and rarely three-part (TTB), created in the 19th and 20th centuries by Greek and Russian composers for orthodox worship ceremonies, e.g. the Divine Liturgy and the Rites of Baptism (Christening), Wedding, Funeral, etc. Its activity is incorporated in the 200-year Athenian tradition of Greek polyphonic ecclesiastical music as one of the last representatives of this particular kind of music. The regular and honorary members are amateur musicians, who believe in continuation of the local music tradition expressed through the Athenian school of polyphonic ecclesiastical music.

Saint Alexander’s Choir has 32 regular, normally non-paid members, except guest participations by members of other choirs.



Born in Chicago in 1940, Herbie was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He also developed a passion for electronics and science, and double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell College.
 
In 1963, Miles Davis invited Herbie to join the Miles Davis Quintet. During his five years with Davis, Herbie and his colleagues Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums) recorded many classics, including 'ESP', 'Nefertiti' and 'Sorcerer'. Later on, Herbie made appearances on Davis' groundbreaking 'In a Silent Way' and 'Bitches Brew', which heralded the birth of jazz-fusion.
 
Herbie's own solo career blossomed on Blue Note, with classic albums including 'Maiden Voyage', 'Empyrean Isles', and 'Speak Like a Child'. He composed the score to Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film 'Blow Up', which led to a successful career in feature film and television music.

1970s: The Headhunters and VSOP

After leaving Davis, Herbie put together a new band called The Headhunters and, in 1973, recorded 'Head Hunters.' With its crossover hit single "Chameleon," it became the first jazz album to go platinum. 
 
By mid-decade, Herbie was playing for stadium-sized crowds all over the world and had no fewer than four albums in the pop charts at once. In total, Herbie had 11 albums in the pop charts during the 1970s. His ’70s output inspired and provided samples for generations of hip-hop and dance music artists. 
 
Herbie also stayed close to his love of acoustic jazz in the ’70s, recording and performing with VSOP (reuniting him with his Miles Davis colleagues), and in duet settings with Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson.

1980s: Future Shock, Film & TV

In 1980, Herbie introduced the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the world as a solo artist, producing his debut album and touring with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Herbie to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, 'Future Shock', again struck platinum, and the single "Rockit" rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. The video of the track won five MTV awards. 'Sound System', the follow-up, also received a Grammy in the R&B instrumental category. 
 
Herbie won an Oscar in 1986 for scoring the film "'Round Midnight", in which he also appeared as an actor. Numerous television appearances over the years led to two hosting assignments in the 1980s: "Rock School" on PBS and Showtime's "Coast To Coast".
 
After an adventurous 1994 project for Mercury Records, 'Dis Is Da Drum', he moved to the Verve label, forming an all-star band to record 1996's Grammy-winning 'The New Standard'. In 1997, an album of duets with Wayne Shorter, '1+1', was released.

1990s: Verve Records and Headhunters Reunited

After an adventurous 1994 project for Mercury Records, 'Dis Is Da Drum', he moved to the Verve label, forming an all-star band to record 1996's Grammy-winning 'The New Standard'. In 1997, an album of duets with Wayne Shorter, '1+1', was released. 
 
The legendary Headhunters reunited in 1998, recording an album for Herbie's own Verve-distributed imprint, and touring with the Dave Matthews Band. That year also marked the recording and release of  'Gershwin's World', which included collaborators Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Kathleen Battle, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. 'Gershwin's World' won three Grammys in 1999, including Best Traditional Jazz Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance for Stevie Wonder's "St. Louis Blues." 

2000, Album of the Year and Today

Herbie reunited with Bill Laswell to collaborate with some young hip-hop and techno artists on 2001's FUTURE2FUTURE. He also joined with Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker in 2002 to record a live concert album, 'Directions In Music: Live at Massey Hall', a tribute to John Coltrane and Miles Davis. 
 
'Possibilities', released in August 2005, teamed Herbie with many popular artists, such as Sting, Annie Lennox, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone and Damien Rice. That year, he played a number of concert dates with a re-staffed Headhunters, and became the first-ever Artist-In-Residence at the Tennessee-based festival Bonnaroo.
 
In 2007, Hancock recorded and released 'River: The Joni Letters', a tribute to longtime friend and collaborator Joni Mitchell featuring Wayne Shorter, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and co-produced by Larry Klein. He enlisted vocalists Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, Leonard Cohen and Mitchell herself to perform songs she wrote or was inspired by. The album received glowing reviews and was a year-end Top 10 choice for many critics. It also garnered three GRAMMY nominations, and two wins for Best Contemporary Jazz Album and Album of The Year. This marked only the second time in history a jazz album has won music’s highest honor with the last taking place almost 50 years prior.
 
To cap off his illustrious career to date, Verve records released ‘Then and Now: The Definitive Herbie Hancock’ in 2008. This essential collection is the first-ever career retrospective of the jazz visionary’s unparalleled work. 
 
Herbie Hancock also maintains a thriving career outside the performing stage and recording studio. He is the Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and serves as Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the foremost international organization devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. He is also a founder of The International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP).
 
Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can't track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.


My eye is the vortex from
which nothing escapes
I am dematerialization of the self
I am the axis in the wheel of reincarnation
The endless singularity

I turn the spirals of existence
I am the slowing pace of life
I am the pulse of creation
Of inevitability and destruction
I balance the shifting tides of life
Everything must return... to me

I am the beginning
And I am the end
'' THORNS-VORTEX ''


polyphonic landscape is following