Saklamara - The Story
For many musicians, music is a pleasant pastime. For Saklamarians, it’s a passion. Our motto: “Don’t just be a musician. Be music.” Our sound is as diverse as we are, and everything that’s made it past our ears. When people ask us, “What kind of music do you play,” the only proper Saklamarian answer is, “Yes.” You could say we play world music, Mediterranean music, Greek scales and rhythms, a big fat slice of Soul topped with R&B, a dash of James Brown, a dollop of classic rock, with a pinch of jazz. And all of that would be true. It would also just be scratching the surface.
Saklamara came together in fits and starts, over many years—decades really—the natural outgrowth of Anthony’s musical curiosity and collaborations with other musicians he pulled into his orbit. Sometimes it would start with a haircut and a conversation about a shared love of music. Or Anthony playing a pickup gig and noticing that the cat next to him was really grooving. Bit by bit, he collected the pieces. Night by night, we jammed to different scales, rhythms, tempos. A glass or two of tequila may have been involved. There was no plan, really—we just liked making music together. When it all finally crystalized, it was like finding ourselves in some exotic locale, without noticing that we’d been on a train.
Much like our music. Not to give anything away, but the main ingredient in our special sauce is the act of creating itself, jumping into a song without quite knowing where it will end or how we’ll get there. Every song is a journey, and we invite you to join us. In a world too full of busy-ness, Saklamara invites you to slow down, savor the flavor, and…just…breathe.
The Players
Anthony Geannaris: bouzouki, electric guitar, percussion, and vocals
A lifelong Arlingtonian, Anthony began his musical journey at the knee of his father, a working musician, among other talents. George introduced him to the drums at age 8, and by the time he graduated from high school, Anthony was honoring his heritage by launching his first Greek band, Nixto Poulia (Night Birds). The band lasted 15 years, with a five-year stint at The Zorba Room, where Anthony cut his teeth as a club drummer and percussionist, playing solos while belly dancers shook their stuff. That led to freelance work with some of the best Greek players in New England, plus a few big names in from Greece. Drums led to bouzouki and guitar. Along the way he also mastered the baglama (a traditional lute-like instrument common to Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of Asia), as well as achieving proficiency on bass and piano. His first bouzouki was his dad’s, which he managed to tune properly after discovering that dial tones are a mix of 350 Hz and 440 Hz (A below middle C). Extended study with the much-acclaimed Charlie Makredes and Elias Broufas gave him the fundamentals he continues to build on today. Ditto for guitar lessons with Stelios Karaminas. In addition to this formal education, every gig, session, jam, and job was also an opportunity to hone his art. “I wanted to play guitar like the best guitarists I played with; I wanted to play bouzouki like the best players I gigged with. I’d watch their hands as I played drums. Gig after gig, rehearsal after rehearsal, I never stopped learning.” From 2009 – 2019, he’d use his skills leading the house band for The Steve Katsos Show, a weekly cable show reaching 13 million households worldwide. It’s a rare gig where Anthony doesn’t make a new friend or meet a new musical accomplice. And it’s a rare evening when he doesn’t have an instrument in his hand, whether performing for others or just following his passion.
Alena Sorokina: vocals, hand signals
Alena currently resides in Arlington and comes to the band by way of The Berklee College of Music, which is only her latest stop in a long line of music schools and professional training. Born to an opera singer mother and guitarist father, as a toddler she sang herself to sleep with Russian folk songs. Sometimes she’d improvise her own melodies, which emanated from somewhere even deeper. Her earliest memories include dreams of becoming a singer. At the ancient age of six, she enrolled in music school, where she learned piano, theory, and solfège, a system of hand signals that allows musicians to hear different pitches in their head and then sing them aloud. She began performing professionally at 13, when a vocal coach noted her talent and tapped her for a children’s musical theater troupe, which led to her hosting and performing weekly children’s shows. Her next stop was jazz instruction at her fist college. Shortly after turning 18, Alena moved to Moscow to attend Russia’s preeminent music conservatory. By graduation, she was already giving voice lessons and fantasizing about applying to Berklee, where she graduates this spring, thanks to a full scholarship. A Boston friend who knows musicians suggested she meet Anthony. Synergy ensued, with Alena composing melodies—often derived from Russian folk music—to Anthony’s Mediterranean grooves. Violà! Saklamara’s debut album. “The process of creating original songs still blows my mind—turning a simple idea into a fully-arranged song is pure magic. I’m loving every second of it with Saklamara.”
Bill Morris: electric guitar
Bill’s musical education got serious in the late 70s when he enrolled in Berklee College of Music, followed by private study with Charlie Banacos and Bruce Bartlett. His playing’s covered a variety of styles over the years, from rock, jazz, and fusion, to folk and country, in formats from solo to big band. He’s led or been a sideman in a number of bands over his long career, including Turning Point, The Barry Sahagian Group, The Sonny Watson Quartet, The Dave Rasmussen Big Band, and The Frank Cagliuso Quartet. The Wicked Pickers is his most enduring musical project. Another Arlingtonian, Bill has a fluid, melodic playing style that crosses many styles and helps shape Saklamara’s signature sound.
Ken Paynter: upright bass
“To me, music is a spiritual language, capable of revealing worlds of feelings, inspiration, and breathtaking beauty. I feel very fortunate to be able to share this directly with others.” Ken started listening to traditional jazz with his brother, hours on end. Even as young kids, they realized they could hear musicians essentially talking and dancing together, within the music itself. Imagine: music could have a life of its own, formed by the collective and creative energy of a group. Inspired by this epiphany, Ken embarked on a lifelong journey to master his instrument, to the point where his bass finally feels like an extension of his body, connecting hand, heart, and mind. He’s grateful for having attained that level of connectivity, and for the many opportunities over the last half-century to play with others in the worlds of blues, rockabilly, jazz, funk, bluegrass, contra dance, civic orchestras, gypsy jazz, and now Saklamara. Immersed in independent schools for decades—first as a teacher and then as technology director—it was natural for Ken to participate in show pit orchestras and small faculty jazz ensembles for school events. While working internationally at American schools in Israel and the Dominican Republic, Ken expanded his musical horizons by playing regularly with a jazz pianist who’d also moved between the same two schools. Their ensemble was featured at the 2003 Tel Aviv Jazz Festival. When he’s not playing music, this resident of Arlington can often be found fixing door knobs and tuning pianos.
Larry Terry: alto sax, drums, djembe, percussion, keys, vocals
Who’s that on piano? Who’s that on the drum kit? Who’s singing and playing sax? Who just jumped off the djembe to pick up a tambourine? It must be Larry Terry, Berklee College of Music alumni and member of the music scene ever since. He’s performed with Buckwheat Zydeco, The Hipshot Band, First Class Band & Concetta, Flipside, The Brothers Walk Band, Tony Wilson, Dan Fox and the Arlington Express, Neal Itzer, and many, many more, including his own various musical projects. An accomplished abstract artist, Larry lives in Arlington, where he enjoys getting outdoors, connecting with people, and rocking the Saklamara experience.
Mike Aiello: drums
A native of Somerville, Mass., Mike studied under jazz legend Bob Gullotti during his student days at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory of Music. Mike’s played and recorded with many greats on the regional and national scenes, including Susan Tedeschi, Bo Diddley, Lucas McCain, The Radio Kings, Alexis Shepard, Me and My Giant, Big Spender Trio, Meg Toohey, and many, many more. But we didn’t have to tell you that. Just listen to the dude play.
Stroker: keys, accordion
What’s that sound? Pedal-steel guitar? Violin? A horn section? No! It’s an accordion, dummy. Stroker is forever experimenting with sounds and techniques that expand the instrument’s possibilities and acknowledged repertoire. A regular sideman on the Boston music scene today, he introduces a lifetime of diverse influences to the musical gumbo that is Saklamara. Reggae and rock, bluegrass and blues, zydeco, Cajun, Tex-Mex. Plus a slew of other roots genres. Recent affiliations include Session Americana, The Beantown Buckaroos, Acousticana, Creek River String Band, and Funkygrass. Stroker, who calls Arlington home, is the only member of the band who’s been bitten on the face by a raccoon (the attack was not in response to his accordion playing, all rumors to the contrary).