the band members and their stylistically diverse backgrounds. in 2002 ManhattanVibes released a self-titled CD featuring of Grammy award winner John Benitez on bass and Steve Hass on drums and Randy Brecker on trumpet. Jazz Times' magazine's 2002 Year In Review issue labeled the recording was as, "...one of the top-ten jazz recordings of 2002”. By 2005 Rafalides had begun a collaboration project with his previous mentor, Joe Locke, which lead to the release of the album 'Van Gogh by Numbers'. This album was debuted live in front of an audience at the 2005 PASIC convention in Columbus, Ohio. In 2007 Rafalides released a duo album named 'Dark Sand' with American pianist Sergio Salvatore, the duo performed the album at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and various cities throughout the US and Europe. Rafalides was also hired to perform a series of concerts with the Charles Mingus ‘Epitaph’ Band which featured conductor Gunther Schuller and bassist Christian McBride. He also performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at Lincoln Center during this year. In 2008 Rafalides began a project to collaborate with Mimis Plessas a well known Greek composer which culminated in the release of two projects based on Plessas’ music: the album ‘Ηχώ/Echo featuring Evi Siamanda on vocals which consisted of the music of Mimis Plessas and the duo recording ‘We Two’ featuring Mimis Plessas on piano and Christos on vibraphone. In 2014 Rafalides teamed up with Greek bassist Petros Klampanis to release the duo Bass/Vibes album ‘Point Two.' Stylistically, Point Two combines a number of their influences including styles that are Middle Eastern, Greek, and Latin based to affect the original compositions, standards, and folk songs that make up the album. In addition to ‘Point Two’ Rafalides collaborated with the ‘Chronos Ensemble’ in 2014 working alongside Greek singer-songwriter, Dimitra Galani. The group went on to release the album ‘Chronos Project'. In 2014 Rafalides also worked on a recording project titled ‘Peter Gunn – (The Music Of Henry Mancini)’ with the Harmony Ensemble of NY which featured artists including Lew Soloff, Lew Tabackin, Ronnie Cuber, and Victor Lewis. Rafalides has been a recurring guest faculty member at the ‘Zeltsman Marimba Festival,’ a summer percussion festival that takes place in different parts of the world each year. Rafalides also has a continuing Artist Residency at the ‘Music Village’ in Greece. He is also on faculty at Queens College