Billy Pod

Vassilis Podaras (aka Billy Pod) was born in Athens,Greece in 1988.

He started playing drums at the age of 11. His musical studies include 6 years of classical piano and violin lessons. At the age of 18 he was accepted at the jazz department of the Ionian university of Corfu and 5 years later he got his Bachelor degree and later his Masters degree in jazz performance.

From 2009 he is one of the most active musicians in the Greek jazz scene collaborating and performing internationally at festivals and venues in Europe,USA and Asia. Tivon Pennicott, Jd Walter , Emmet Cohen ,Rufus Reid ,Bobby Sanabria ,Manfred Schoof ,Olivier Temime ,Timo Lassy ,Dean Bowman ,George Kontrafouris ,Takis Paterelis ,Vasilis Rakopoulos ,Dimos Dimitriadis ,Dimitri Vasilakis ,Vasilis Xenopoulos ,Nikolas Anadolis among others are some of his latest collaborations.

He is member of the band the Next Step Quintet (latest release feat.Tivon Pennicott).

His debut album as a leader 'Drums to heal society' is out in February 2019 by Puzzlemusik label.

Performance highlights:

-Pori Jazz Festival 2010

-IASJ International Meeting 2012 in Austria

-London Jazz Festival 2015

-Taichung Jazz Festival 2016

-Odessa Jazz Festival 2016

-Made in NY Jazz Gala 2016 (New York)

Awards:

1st place in the small band category at the International Made in NY jazz competition 2016.

Related Selected Discography:

-Βilly Pod , Drums to heal society ,2019 (ΤΒR ) (Puzzlemusik )

-The Next Step Quintet,The next step quintet 2013 (puzzlemusik)

-The Next Step Quintet feat.Tivon Pennicott, ll. 2015 (puzzlemusik)

-George Kontrafouris Baby trio, Urban Jazz , 2012 (Puzzlemusik)

-Vassilis Rakopoulos Quintet, Live at MIET ,2017

-George Kostopoulos, Last trip to the Moon, 2016

-Yiorgos Georgiadis ,Taksidi ,2017 (The lyst records)

-Ntinos Manos Quartet , After the storm , 2018 (Ankh records)

-Michalis Katachanas quartet ,Trito Chreos (TBR) 2018

-Dionisis Savopoulos,Eleni Vitali live Zontanoi sto Kyttaro 2016, (Feelgood Records)

Awards

Made in New York jazz competition 2016. 1st place in small band category with the Next Step Quintet, performing as an honour guest at the Tribeca Performing arts centre in New York.