With my grandfather Ion Iordache and my father Constantin Iordache in 1981.

I was born in 1967 in Bucharest, Romania. I began playing saxophone in the early 90's, having been fascinated with sound since childhood. (For example, I had invented the tape loop at 13, unaware that it had already been done). My first influences were Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz and Ornette Coleman. My first instrument was a recorder (I wanted a flute but could not afford it).

Between 1987 and 1990 I studied improvisation with the late great pianist and composer Marius Popp at the Popular School for the Arts in Bucharest, and in the early 90's I briefly studied saxophone with Garbis Dedeian, who was Romania's most esteemed saxophone player at the time.

Jamming with saxophonist Garbis Dedeian (who would later become my teacher) and trumpet player Marian Cucu at the Jazz Festival in Costineşti (1987).

My first break was playing a solo on a song by rock group Timpuri Noi. Afterwards I played with other jazz and rock musicians and bands throughout the 90's, including pianist Harry Tavitian - with whom I recorded two albums, Axis Mundi and Balcaz - pianist Lucian Ban - before his departure for New York - guitarist Sorin Romanescu, bassist Vlaicu Golcea, trombonist Tom Smith and singer Marta Hristea, notably on the live album "11" by East Village Open Formula.

With The Underground Acid featuring Cătălin Milea, Vlaicu Golcea, Cezar Stănciulescu (seated), Vlad Popescu, Saşi Vuşcan, Sorin Romanescu and Electric Brother – 1999.

Since 2003 I have been leading his own band, Iordache, initially inspired by the Sun Ra Arkestra. I also took "Iordache" as a stage name, to create confusion.

A visit from the Dero Foam during a corporate event in Bucharest.

The first line-up included a great guitarist, Sorin Romanescu, bassist and composer Vlaicu Golcea, Vadim Tichişan - a versatile drummer - and trombonist Ieronim Pogorilovschi, later to be replaced by American trombonist and jazz educator Tom Smith. This band recorded Friday - featuring Tom Smith, my first album as a leader.

With Tom Smith and Iordache, during a concert in Bucharest (photo by Medicine Madison).

The band's second line-up included bassist Uţu Pascu and drummer Tavi Scurtu, the funkiest rhythm section to be found this side of the Atlantic, Sorin Romanescu and Oigăn, my bandmate from Kumm on guitars.

Sadly, no recordings of this band survive (Dissipatin' was recorded with a transitional band, still with Vlaicu Golcea on bass and Vadim Tichişan on drums, and featuring guests such as saxophonist Cristian Soleanu, keyboardist Raul Kusak, Oigăn and singer Marta Hristea).

With Uţu Pascu, Tavi Scurtu, Sorin Romanescu and Oigăn in Luxemburg.

Between 2012 and 2015, a third line-up included Uţu Pascu and Tavi Scurtu, Dan Mitrofan - an innovative guitarist, keyboardist and guitarist Toni Kühn (whose fan I was since his early 80's work with seminal fusion band Post Scriptum and the Eugen Gondi Quartet), Petre Ionuţescu - a very delicate, atmospheric trumpet player and great tenor saxophonist Lucian Nagy.

All these musicians were living in Timişoara, where we had recorded One Life Left in 2011, so keeping the band functional became increasingly difficult because of the distance and conflicting time schedules, so Petre and Lucian were shortly replaced by Sebastian Burneci, a powerful yet sensitive trumpet player, and wonderful, melodious trombonist Florian Radu, both from Bucharest.

This line-up recorded Garden Beast, an album about my garden, in 2013. One of the tunes, Magnolia, features the delicate and mysterious wordless vocals of Turkish singer Sanem Kalfa.

Both One Life Left and Garden Beast also had very limited (100 pcs) vinyl editions on my new label, Fiver House Records.

With Uţu Pascu and Tavi Scurtu, Dan Mitrofan, Toni Kühn, Petre Ionuţescu, Lucian Nagy at Garâna Jazz Fest 2012 (photo by Ioana Tăut).

In 2015 I had the chance to record with baritone saxophone legend Alex Harding, whom I knew through pianist Lucian Ban. The band I assembled for the occasion was: Tavi Scurtu on drums, Michael Acker on bass (who continued to play with us, now and then), Sebastian Burneci and Florian Radu on trumpet and trombone, pianist Toma Dimitriu and Lebanese percussionist Ghassan Bouz.

Iordache at Smida Jazz Festival 2017 (photo by Bogdan Munteanu).

In 2017, ARCUB (Bucharest City Hall’s Center for Culture), commissioned me – through Lucian Ban who was temporarily in charge of their jazz program Artist In Residence – to write and play a new extended work. I wrote Suita Titan (The Titan Suite) dedicated to Titan, the neighborhood of Bucharest where I grew up during Communism. Suita Titan was recorded with Tavi Scurtu, Dan Mitrofan, keyboardist Adi Stoenescu and, as guests, Daniel Torres on tenor sax (from Malaga, Spain) and trumpet player Vlad Simon. I recorded it live, on its first presentation, and it became my sixth album, featuring lyrics by Florin Dumitrescu on one tune and a booklet by my daughter, visual artist Medicine Madison. I crowdfunded the album through an artistic documentary she made about Titan, and it came out in 2019. Later, in 2021, her movie Suita Titan won the Luis Bacalov prize for Best Original Music at the 39th edition of the Bellaria Film Festival in Italy. Her documentary can be seen in the See/Iordache TV section of this site. Suita Titan was premiered in Bucharest at Control Club and in Cluj at the Jazz in the Park Festival. Both concerts featured visuals by artist Cinty Ionescu.

Titan, the neighborhood I grew up in, photographed by my father in the '70s.

Then I recorded a solo album, Organic Natural, using only vegetal material as instruments (dandelions, various types of leaves).

In 2019 I had the idea of a spoken word/poetry album, featuring a narrator/singer and a small chamber ensemble, like for Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, inspired by poems by my friend Florin Dumitrescu. It was supposed to be a follow-up to Suita Titan, a second album about the same places but from a different perspective. But then 2020 came, the narrator I had in mind (a great singer) couldn't be reached anymore so I ended up recording the whole thing myself (voice, electric piano, saxophone, flutes, percussion) with the help of my daughter Medicine Madison on violin and tenor violin and later, in 2021, of vocalist Diana Miron, and released it as a CD + booklet, featuring Florin's poems and Medicine Madison's collage art, in 2022. I presented this album, Zeuţii (The Godlets) in two small national tours, featuring an excellent pianist, Albert Tajti and Diana Miron, a very impressive improviser on both voice and violin. A live version of it will appear in 2025 on my own label, Fiver House Records, where I released all my music since 2012.

Iordache has played in most Romanian clubs and festivals, notably at Bucharest Jazz Festival, Smida Jazz Festival, Alba Jazz, Jazz In Church, Stufstock, Fân Fest Rosia Montană, Om Rău Petrila, Jazz and More, Green Hours International Jazz Fest and Garâna Jazz Fest, and in a few other countries, including Hungary (with guitarist Eichinger Tibor as a guest), Belgium (with Eugene Chadbourne), Luxembourg and Israel. In 2012 Iordache opened for the Jack DeJohnette Group at Sala Radio (Radio Hall) in Bucharest.

With Dan Mitrofan, Toni Kühn, Lucian Nagy and Tavi Scurtu at the recording session for "One Life Left" (photo by Alice Nacu).

With Harry Tavitian's band Orient Express in Odorheiu Secuiesc, 2004 (photo by Zilahi Imre).

I always had the chance to play and record with great musicians, who understood and respected what I am doing. I will only mention Harry Tavitian, who hired me in his band at 18, Lucian Ban, who taught me about leading a band, Vlaicu Golcea, who produced Dissipatin’, Uţu Pascu, who made me understand music is one great continuum and limits are artificial, Tavi Scurtu, a master of rhythm, Sorin Romanescu, whose comping deftly justifies any wrong notes I play, and Dan Mitrofan, who always gives me a fresh perspective of my own songs.

I am also very preoccupied with ecology, and I think we should do whatever we can to stop corporations from poisoning our planet for their profit.

Playing a solo with Kumm in 2012 (photo by Romaniţa Oprea).

I also play saxophone, flute and tambourine with indie rock band Kumm, since 2003.