GREEK CLARINET: Kostas Gadinis / Βαγγελιώ ['Βαγγελιο'] (Vangelio) / Metropolitan 168

Kostas 'Gus' Gadinis was a Greek clarinetist born in Siatista, in western Macedonia around 1885, who emigrated to the United States in 1915. He first recorded as "Charlie Makedonas", accompanying the Greek tenor Sotirios Stasinopoulos on some 10 songs in December 1925 and December 1927. Recording under his own name in March 1927 as the "Costas Gadenis Trio", he soon teamed up with the accordionist John Gianaros with whom he played during the '30s, '40s and '50s. [See Stavros K. Frangos' chapter on Gianaros in "Greek Music in America", University Press of Mississippi, 2019.]. Gadinis ended up with about 65 songs released on Victor, Orthophonic, Columbia, Okeh/Odeon, and Phalirea before the World War II era recording bans took effect.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Gadinis and his small groups recorded at least 50 songs released on Balkan, Kaliphon, Metropolitan, Me-Re, Alpha and Standard. During that period he also served as accompanist to Michalis Patrinos, Virginia Magidou, Angeliki Karayianni, Roza Eskenazi, Amalia Bakas, Miltiadis Stamos, Lazaros Rouvas, Antonis Simos, Manolis Diamantis and Helen Pappas. He reportedly passed away in 1987.

[Βαγγελιώ ['Βαγγελιο'] (Vangelio), Κώστας Γκαντίνης (Kostas 'Gus' Gadinis) c male singer, Metropolitan 168-A, recorded 1940s/50s]