Michel Hatzigeorgiou (born 1961) is a Belgian bass guitarist. He was born in Belgium from Greek parents. He started playing

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

at the age of 9, then switched to electric guitar at 11 and finally to electric bass at 14. He could have or should have played with Scorpions after a quick trip to Hamburg for an audition, but his father told him to "Get your "Bac" first. He joined his first band, the Blackbirds, as lead guitarist, when he was a student at Charleroi Technical University. In 1982, he attended the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

seminar in Liège. At that time, he played with

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

(his main influence),

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

, and Belgian jazzmen

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

, Ivan Paduart, Steve Houben,

Philip Catherine Philip Catherine (born 27 October 1942) is a Belgian jazz guitarist. Biography Philip Catherine was born in London, England, to an English mother and Belgian father, and was raised in Brussels, Belgium. His grandfather was a violinist in the ...

, and

Pierre Van Dormael Pierre Van Dormael (24 May 1952 – 3 September 2008) was a Belgian jazz guitarist and composer. In 1988, he played in the James Baldwin Project with David Linx David Linx (born 22 March 1965) is a Belgian jazz Jazz is a music ...

. He was then involved in the De Kaai project and in Nasa Na Band, precursor of

Aka Moon Aka Moon is the Belgian jazz trio of saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou and drummer Stéphane Galland. Aka Moon combines jazz, rock, and world music. ''In Real Time'' (2001) was composed for ballet company of Anne-Teresa ...

, the band he formed with

Fabrizio Cassol Fabrizio Cassol (born 8 June 1964) is a Belgian saxophonist and the first user of the aulochrome (a double-reed instrument). He was born in Ougrée, Belgium. Between 1982 and 1985, he studied at the Liège conservatory and "obtained first priz ...

and Stéphane Galland. Hatzigeorgiou has been teaching at the Brussels conservatory since 1998. His band Variations on A Love Supreme has released an album of the same name. He has also played in the Erwin Vann Group and Toots Thielemans Quartet.

References

Jazz in Belgium website
1961 births Living people Jazz bass guitarists Belgian jazz musicians Belgian people of Greek descent Aka Moon members {{bass-guitarist-stub