“PHILOMENO”-From the Ancient Greek word “philoumene'”, coming from two words, “philos” (friend of/loving) and “menos” (desire/courage). The name means ‘the strength of a friend’ but it is part of the Greek culture, emanating from the Christian doctrine to “love thy neighbor as oneself” as well as Jesus’ teaching “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven”
MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN AN ARTISTS PRODUCES AN ALBUM CONCERNING SOCIAL ISSUES, IT IS ABOUT CERTAIN GREIVANCES THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO HIS OWN RACE, CULTURE OR RELIGION.
WHAT GOT MY ATTENTION ABOUT CYPRIOT-BORN PERCUSSIONIST GEORGE LERNIS IS THAT HIS DEBUT ALBUM IS THAT HE AVOIDED THIS ASPECT SOCIAL ISSUES AND INSTEAD IS ABOUT TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO RELATION TO HIM, REFUGEES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST THAT HAVE BEEN SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
THE MUSIC AND MESSAGE OF THIS ALBUM GOT THE ATTENTION OF FAMED BASSIST JOHN PATITUCCI, WHO HELPED PUT THE MUSIC TOGETHER WITH A COLLECTION OF MUSICAL ARTISTS FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD. THE MIX OF WESTERN AND BYZANTINE SOUNDS ON THE ALBUM, ENTITLED BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, SUCCESSFULLY TAKES THE LISTENER ON A CARAVAN OF SOUNDS MELDING TONES AND COLORS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE BOSPHORUS STRAIT.
LIVING IN AMERICA, LERNIS HAS BEEN AN IN DEMAND SESSION ARTISTS, ADDING EXOTIC TEXTURES TO MANY AN ALBUM. THIS SOLO RELEASE IS A STEP FORWARD, BOTH MUSICALLY AND SPRITUALLY.
WE APPROACHED MR. LERNIS ABOUT HIS LIFE AND MUSIC, AND FOUND HIM TO BE AS INTRIGUING AND IN DEPTH AS THE SOUNDS HE CREATES.
YOU WERE BORN IN CYPRUS?
I was born and raised in Cyprus. I moved to the US in 2001 when I was 20 years old to study music. I have both an American and Cypriot citizenship.
SO THE FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO DO IS LISTEN TO THE FIRST MUSIC I GREW UP LISTENING TO (PLAYS GREEK FOLK MUSIC)
I know that song. I forget the name, but it is Rembetiko style.
IS THAT WHAT YOU STARTED PL AYING AS A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT?
Yes. Growing up in Cyprus I was exposed to traditional music like what you just played and different drums. In Turkey, the call it “Darbuka” and in Greek “Toumberleki”. I grew up with the Tumbelieki in our house; it was probably the first instrument I ever touched before expanding to a drum set, listening to jazz, and learning more traditional percussion.
WAS THERE A MAJOR CHANGE IN YOUR PLAYING WHEN YOU STARTED PLAYING “TRADITIONAL DRUMS” FOR JAZZ?
When I was 13 years old, I heard a band play jazz . It probably wasn’t even a good band; it was some Cypriot band in a club that my father took me out to hear. But, I was fascinated by it, not only the instruments, but especially the jazz harmony.
When you think of traditional music, in the Middle East we don’t have harmony. The music is more horizontal, based on micro tonal modes and is more melody based. So, when I heard this jazz I realized I had to get a drum set and take some lessons. When I told my dad, he said “Absolutely not!” (laughs)
So I went to my mother; she bought me the drum set and signed me up for the lessons! (laughs)
*********
“I always thought that percussion only came from the African-American heritage, and what they brought to this country. But as an immigrant from the Middle East, specifically Cyprus and the Mediterranean, these colors from percussion are my identity:
*********
CLASSIC GREEK FAMILY!
WHAT DRUMMER MOST IMPRESSED YOU AT FIRST?
Tony Williams, and Lenny White. I was really into Lenny White. Dave Weckl; I went through a phase with The Elektric Band which every teenage drummer at the time got fascinated by
Tony Williams really grew on me. Before I went to study at Berklee I was fascinated with his sound, which I still appreciate to this day.
********
“I think that percussion, in many ways, is very complex. And if you think of music as a palate of colors, it is way more unique”
*********
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF A PERCUSSIONIST AS AN “EXTRA” IN JAZZ, AND NOT A CORE INSTRUMENT. WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
I think that percussion, in many ways, is very complex. And if you think of music as a palate of colors, it is way more unique.
One of the reasons I love playing percussion in jazz is that I’m always trying to be myself. When I compose and play with people, I want to develop my own sound; I don’t want to sound like Tony Williams. He did his thing, and it was amazing, but we respect him for who he is. I always thought that percussion only came from the African-American heritage, and what they brought to this country. But as an immigrant from the Middle East, specifically Cyprus and the Mediterranean, these colors from percussion are my identity.
I see percussion as a way to make it work. I think that it is different than playing traditional music and playing one drum at a time, and taking all of these drums and putting it all together and hybriding them to create a sound. It’s very difficult; it took me many, many years of studies, working with my mentors my mentors like Danilo Perez and John Patitucci.
I studied and performed with both of them and they really helped me polish this sound. I think percussion is way more complex, because you don’t have a lot of people out there that are doing it in order to inspire you or to learn from.
In many ways for me it is revolutionary , as there are some people like Jamey Haddad, who does this. There are some people who do it as auxiliary percussion, but not many people play it only as their one setting.
******
“One of the reasons I love playing percussion in jazz is that I’m always trying to be myself”
*******
IT IS INTERESTING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP DANILO PEREZ, AS HIS LATEST ALBUM (CRISALIDA) IS VERY SIMILAR TO YOURS IN CONCEPT, MELDING TRADITIONAL SOUNDS WITH MODERN JAZZ. DID THAT HAPPEN BY COINCIDENCE OR WERE YOU BOTH THINKING OF THE SAME THING?
It was more by coincidence. When I did my album, we were both composing around the same time., but the way Danilo thinks is a little different.
Danilo is an phenomenal pianist and can play with anyone, and when I say “play with anyone” I mean ANYONE; he can make anything work. I’ve seen him play some chords that you would think won’t work, but they do. Don’t ask me how! He’s a magician. (laughs)
Danilo ended up playing with these people like Vasilis Costas and the team he has with Global Messengers, and he said “what do you guys play?” . And they said, “We’re from Jordan and Greece”. Danilo said, “Well, let’s make something happen”, and he just made it happen organically.
The difference with me, was that when I was composing the music, my vision was to connect to my Middle Eastern roots and bring the traditions that I grew up with into my jazz compositions and promote some awareness and break the typical stereotypes of Middle Eastern immigrants.
Also, the difference with my music is that a lot of my influences come from Islamic spiritual musical traditions.
Even though I am an Orthodox Christian, I learned from different Turkish masters and masters as well as Greek ones. I started by learning a lot of the Byzantine musical traditions and also Sufi traditions from Islamic music. My music reflects that.
*******
“Even though I am an Orthodox Christian, I learned from different Turkish masters and masters as well as Greek ones. I started by learning a lot of the Byzantine musical traditions and also Sufi traditions from Islamic music. My music reflects that”
********
HOW DID YOU MEET JOHN PATITUCCI, AND WHAT DID HE TEACH YOU?
There is no other person in the world that I respect more than John Patitucci. Not just because he is an exceptional player; there is no one like him. I tell you that when I played with John, the feeling I got from him was as a drummer was “WOW”. He had a sound!
It is like with Wayne Shorter; he can play just one note with intentions but it will capture 2000 people’s attention. It will captivate you.
It’s the same thing with John. He came to play with us and played one note, and it just propelled us.
A few years ago I got accepted to the Global Jazz Institute to study with Danilo, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci and all of these guest artists.
I met with John privately every week for one hour. I started introducing to him the music that I write. He was listening to it, giving me advice. After one of the lessons he said “This is great music; let’s play together”
I asked if he was serious, and he said “Yes”
So, after I finished my degree I sent him an email, and asked him if he was still down for it, and he was. So, we did it.
He really resonated with the music, as well as the movement “Between Two Worlds” . He liked the concept of using the zikir, which is a Sufi ritual petition. He really connected with that song. He said he loved the vibe and wanted to play on it. I was honored when he agreed to do it.
********
“(Wayne Shorter) can play just one note with intentions but it will capture 2000 people’s attention. It will captivate you.
It’s the same thing with John. He came to play with us and played one note, and it just propelled us”
********
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST ADVICE THAT EITHER JOHN OR DANILO GAVE YOU?
That’s hard to say, because with these people, it’s not like a conservatory program where you go in and ask a lot of questions, and people are very academic.
You are dealing with cats like Joe, John and Danilo, these guys are players! It’s not programming; you learn orally, just by listening
For me, that is second nature, because I grew up in the Middle East, and all of the best masters in the Middle East teach like that. They cannot explain anything that they do; you have to absorb it be ear, observe, to listen and be super patient and respectful.
So the biggest lesson with John was just to sit in a room with him and listen to him play. His advice would be “Try this” or “Try that”. The biggest thing I learned was decoding his mind, because he is a mastermind; just sitting around him and absorbing his aura.
They are all incredible individuals, but it’s not about them telling me specific things to do.
*********
“I grew up in the Middle East, and all of the best masters in the Middle East teach like that. They cannot explain anything that they do; you have to absorb it be ear, observe, to listen and be super patient and respectfull”
*********
IT IS LIKE WHEN MY WIFE LEARNED TO COOK GREEK FOOD FROM MY “YAYA”. THERE WAS NOTHING SPECIFIC, JUST “DO SOME OF THIS, AND NOW SOME OF THAT”
That’s how the masters make magic.
Danilo told me this story with Wayne Shorter…
He told me that they met for the first time four hours before the concert in a back room, and he thought they were going to rehearse. Instead, they talked for about 3 hours about life, etc. Danilo was freaking out! “What are we going to play?!?”
So he finally asked Wayne, “Aren’t we going to rehearse?”
And Wayne said, “No, you just told me everything there is to know about you. That was the rehearsal. I know all about you” (laughs) And they played in front of 2000 people! (laughs)
********
“percussion is way more complex, because you don’t have a lot of people out there that are doing it in order to inspire you or to learn from”
********
YOUR ALBUM IS ABOUT IMMIGRATION. WHAT HIT YOU MOST SOCIALLY AND MUSICALLY ABOUT AMERICA WHEN YOU ARRIVED?
I came here as a young 20 year old kid from Cyprus. I was a pretty good drummer by Cyprus standards, so I felt like a big shot going to Berklee.
But when I got there, I looked around and there was 100 people that played like me or better. So, my first experience was getting kicked in the butt.
And then in New York it was even crazier.
I learned a lot socially by having a lot of American friends. People from different backgrounds, Brazil, South American and American was helped me absorb different traditions.
I also learned that everything you get in this country you must earn it, by working hard.
The biggest lesson that I learned when I got here was that I had to study hard; spend a lot of time learning my craft. I came from a musical tradition that I was comfortable with, in order to build up enough proficiency to consider myself someone musical that has this quality in both traditional music and jazz, I realized I had to work hard for that.
I took it very seriously and worked very hard for it.
*********
“everything you get in this country you must earn it, by working hard…That’s one thing I appreciate in this country with music.”
**********
AS YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES, THE GOALS OF MOST GRADUATES IS TO GET A COMFORTABLE GOVERNMENT JOB. BUT NOT IN AMERICA-YOU HAVE TO HUSTLE!
You have to hustle for everything. Anything you get, you earn it with y our hard work. That’s one thing I appreciate in this country with music.
As an immigrant myself, something that I say in general for immigrants, if you come here you have to work hard. When you come from a foreign land, it is a big sacrifice for your parents. I knew that my parents were spending a lot of money even though I had a good scholarship. I always had that sense to make my mother and father proud.
“I came here, I know you guys are supporting me, and I don’t want to disappoint you”
That is why a lot of immigrants that come here work so hard.
********
“As an immigrant myself, something that I say in general for immigrants, if you come here you have to work hard. When you come from a foreign land, it is a big sacrifice for your parents. I knew that my parents were spending a lot of money even though I had a good scholarship. I always had that sense to make my mother and father proud”
*********
REGARDING YOUR ALBUM BETWEEN TWO WORLDS WERE THERE ANY STEREOTYPES THAT YOU HAD TO BREAK THROUGH THAT PEOPLE HAD OF YOU OR VICE VERSA?
My album was all about combating stereotyping of immigrants based on their origins or skin color.
I say this because I am from Cyprus, and if you know we had in 1974 a coup and a war that divided all of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Greeks went south and the Turks went north with a huge Green Zone that separates the two.
Before that, we were living together in harmony. There were practicing Muslims and practicing Christian Orthodox living together with no problem. The same with the musical traditions in Cyprus. This is why I loved the music of Cyprus, as it is an amazing example of the Middle East because you have a lot of influences from the Byzantine empire, and a lot of influences from the classical Ottoman music, which is unbelievable.
You don’t find it often. There’s a little bit in Greece with Asia Minor music, but in Cyprus it is more present in the music
What people don’t know about music in Cyprus, is that we have a huge musical influence of Western music, because of the Venetians in the island back in the day. Cyprus has gone through so many hands that it’s such a diverse musical environment, so I wanted to reflect that in my album.
That’s why when I was composing the music for the album I was studying a lot about Islamic musical tradition. I knew a lot about the Byzantine empire, but I wanted to learn a lot about Islamic musical traditions, specifically about Sufi practices. There is the zikir, which is a ritual that they have in Islam, which is an ostinato, a rhythmic cycle that they call “Usul” and they have someone singing in a micro-tonal improvisation.
Sometimes you have 50 to 100 people singing a phrase, and repeating in this rhythm. So, this is an intense ritual, and doing it over and over creates and ecstatic effect to both the listener and the person participating.
They have a name for it in the Middle East, called “Vect” and people that attempt this ritual get into a state of mind of ecstasy.
********
The biggest thing I learned (from John Paticucci) was decoding his mind, because he is a mastermind; just sitting around him and absorbing his aura
********
BRINGING THIS BACK TO YOUR ALBUM-THESE SONGS ARE NOT IN 4/4. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT SOME COMPLEX PULSES FOR AMERICAN EARS, BUT ARE IN THE MAINSTREAM MIDDLE EASTERN VERNACULAR
It’s funny-when John played for my album, everyone was there hanging around. I didn’t expect him to rehearse with us. But the night before, he called me, walking in the street and said, “George, this song ‘Zikir’ has a bass line that is crazy!” He started singing it while he was talking to me on the phone, as he was practicing it in his head from my demos! (laughs)
********
“You are dealing with cats like Joe, John and Danilo, these guys are players! It’s not programming; you learn orally, just by listening”
********
GETTING BACK TO THE PREJUDICES-I JUST GOT BACK FROM A MEDICAL MISSION TRIP IN JORDAN, AND MY TRANSLATOR TOLD ME SHE SPENT A YEAR LIVING IN THE US, AND WHILE LIVING THERE EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS A TERRORIST OR KNEW ONE.
It is a tragedy.
That is one of the main reasons that I wanted to represent and introduce these musical traditions from the Mediterranean and Middle East. I’m not naïve to think that this alone is going to make a difference, as the mainstream media tells us that there’s always a holy war dictated in the Middle East, or that the typical person lives in a tent in the desert, always associating the Middle East with bad things.
I thought that I might compose a record that might introduce the world to both Christian Orthodox traditions and Islamic traditions but doing them in a way that people can appreciate
Like in the second movement starts in a very traditional way, like a zikir until it morphs into a jazz language, so it sounds like what it might sound like if you attended one of these rituals
*******
“Cyprus has gone through so many hands that it’s such a diverse musical environment, so I wanted to reflect that in my album”
********
THE OTHER FACTOR ABOUT YOUR ALBUM IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND ALL OF THE REFUGEES FROM THERE, THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IS “YESTERDAYS NEWS” AND EVERYONE HAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM. BUT THEY ARE STILL THERE.
No one ever really cared about it. It was always so under reported. I talk to people all the time that are “educated” and they don’t even know what’s going on. Unless they are a country that has the refugees coming into it, most people rarely know about this
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT BECAUSE YOU ARE A MUSICIAN, A CYPRIOT, OR BECAUSE YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN?
The reason that the Syrian refugee crisis is a sensitive subject for me is because I served in the Cypriot Military Force. All Cypriots have to do mandatory military service before they can go study.
As a human being, I feel somewhat sensitive about people and have learned to love my neighbor as myself. I have a lot of Turk and Syrian friends. My mother has helped a lot of Syrian refugees.
When my father was younger, he worked with Doctors Without Borders and helped in different countries. We’ve always had a sensitivity for people less fortunate than us and going through wars and crisis.I’ve grown up in a family that has always had a desire to help.
For me, I just wanted to reflect some light on the Syrian refugees’ crisis because I have felt that it is so under-reported.
I know what’s going on, because in Turkey there are camps that supposedly shelter Syrian refugees, so I decided to write this poem that I co-wrote with my mother Eliza, and I put it to music. That was the first target.
********
“I’ve grown up in a family that has always had a desire to help”
*********
ARE YOU A PRACTICING GREEK ORTHODOX?
The way that I like to think of myself is that I’m not fanatically religious, but I like to follow my traditions. I love the Greek and Byzantine traditions; I baptized our son.
I’m not extreme; I’m not the kind of person that would say that I’m secular, because I’d be lying to you. I am a practicing Christian Orthodox, but it’s following my traditions and at the end of the day being a good person.
********
“The first thing I listen for is the way I connect to it spiritually”
********
ARE THERE ANY BOOKS YOU’VE READ THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ
I just finished a very good one called The Reason I Jump. It’s an amazing book written by an autistic kid who someone learned how to translate his thoughts and write them down, which is very unusual for kids with Autism.
I learned a lot from it, because I have a son who has Autism. I just did a concert with a string orchestra, and the whole oratorio was about promoting awareness for Autism. One of the composers wrote a piece and took some of the writing from this kid’s book about the way he was thinking and feeling and put it to music.
I bought the book and read it, and it gave me a greater understanding of my son, how he thinks and it gave me greater respect for these individuals.
I recommend it for anyone who wants to be more aware of people with Autism, how they think and function, and how to approach them and how to be respectful to them.
WHEN YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC, WHAT DO YOU LISTEN FOR?
The first thing I listen for is the way I connect to it spiritually.
Sometimes when I listen to music, I completely tune in. For example, when I listen to music by Wayne Shorter, I think of colors. The way he plays he’s not even thinking about form or harmony, it’s more primal.
When I hear Wayne Shorter, I hear tetrachords; I see colors yellow and red. With some artists, like Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock, I love to just zone out and hear the colors in my head and see pictures. Their mastery is incredible.
In general, one thing that I observe is that I don’t often listen to the lyrics; I’m too absorbed by the music.
********
“When I hear Wayne Shorter, I hear tetrachords; I see colors yellow and red. With some artists, like Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock, I love to just zone out and hear the colors in my head and see pictures. Their mastery is incredible”
*********
WHO IN WORLD HISTORY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEND AN EVENING WITH AND PICK THEIR BRAIN?
John Coltrane for sure.
His music was so beyond his time. Because his music was so modal I could connect with it, the way that he wrote music and played it. It was not in the tradition of jazz at the time; The way he played modal jazz was so far ahead of his time. I would love to have a lesson for a day with Coltrane!
WHAT IS YOUR PET PEEVE WHEN YOU WATCH A PERCUSSIONIST?
I’m not critical of other people’s playing. I love watching percussionists from other countries, like hearing them play the djembe. I love the community of percussionists here.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST JOY?
Spending time with my son.
When I was younger, I was all about playing as many shows a week as I could, being the “hustling musician”. I wouldn’t say “No” to anything.
But at my age now, music is very important for me but at the same time the way I get inspiration to do what I do is from my son. Getting that light every day. He gives me an inspiration to compose, so now I sometimes say “No” to a show and spend a night with him watching a movie. I really enjoy that.
*******
“But at my age now, music is very important for me but at the same time the way I get inspiration to do what I do is from my son”
*******
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SAY WHEN THEY PUT YOU IN THE GRAVE?
They can say whatever they want; I’ll be dead.
MOST PEOPLE SPEND THEIR LIVES TRYING TO BE HEARD AND HAVE THEIR AGENDA MET. THE REFRESHING THING ABOUT THE MUSIC AND WORLDVIEW OF GEORGE LERNIS IS THAT HE SEEMS TO LIVE BY THE FAMOUS PRAYER BY ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, “LORD HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND, RATHER THAN BE UNDERSTOOD”.
IT IS THIS DESIRE TO LISTEN THAT HAS HELPED LERNIS LIVE BY THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE TO LOVE ONE’S ENEMIES, AND TO TREAT OTHERS AS ONE CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE. IT’S AN ETERNAL TEACHING THAT NEEDS CONSTANT REPEATING, AND MR. LERNIS IS AN EXCELLENT MESSANGER FOR OUR EARS AND SOULS.