March 1, 2023

When you know the “what” and the “why”, you concentrate on the “how”. When you have one of the most important scenes for jazz and improvisation in Europe, which produces more work than can be rewarded materially by its audience, you need to get out of your safety zone and the narrow boundaries of existing, in order to explore new paths and perspectives.

Many creators are already moving in this direction, living, creating and teaching abroad, in countries where their work is recognized and decently compensated by the state and the private sector. However, the majority of Greek creators cannot or do not want to do so for an extended period of time, which is perfectly understandable. Why should art and creativity mean leaving your country and your loved ones?

For all these and many other reasons, people from the Greek jazz community have come together and through chance encounters, dialogues and collaborations, decided to explore the possibility of creating a network of mutual support for the Greek jazz and improvisation scene, as well as questioning the boundaries between musical genres and different art forms.

Our main goal is to increase, at least slightly – but on a consistent basis – the opportunities and possibilities that currently exist in Greece, in order to provide Greek artists with funding and promotion of their work and to give them greater recognition of their role and their contribution in improving our lives and making our society more humane.

We decided to create a non-profit cultural organization, namely the “Jazz Solidarity Network” (abbreviated as “Jazz Solid” or “JSN”), which will be responsible for creating partnerships and collaborations with the wider public and private sectors (both within and outside the country) so that Greek jazz, improvisation and all art forms related to these traditions, approaches and perspectives, will be able to flourish. Collaborations that will support strengthen and expand what already exists (concerts, festivals, a variety of productions, etc.) by selecting an independent and collective way, as well as “out of the box” initiatives, to bring non-commercial art to places where it is currently absent.

This network will initially operate with a management team of people who are presently taking the initiative (Manthos and Kosmas) along with beneficiary, supporting and honorary members:

1. Beneficiary members will only be the artists and their collectives. They will not be asked for a financial contribution, but will be offered material support.
2. Supporting members could be various institutions and persons who are in some way involved in cultural production and who are willing to support the network materially.
3. Honorary members will be people who do not need our support, we do not ask them for anything as have already made a significant contribution to this cause and should be recognized (and honored by us) for their role.

Horizontal and transparent rules will be established for all categories of members in relation to the network through participatory procedures.

Digital infrastructures will also be created (sponsoring and crowdfunding platforms, e-shop and communication channels) that will be freely used by any creator to finance and promote their work in Greece and abroad, without having to resort to platforms that charge commissions and expensive intermediaries.

Simultaneously, there will be an attempt to network the music community with other art sectors such as dance, theatre, visual arts, poetry and literature, which will also be given space and a platform.

It is important to stress that, fortunately, we are not trying to reinvent the wheel and we are inspired by similar initiatives that have experimented with conventional and innovative forms of funding and promotion, which we intend to adopt and expand, by collaborating with the relevant organizations/entities.

In this context, we cannot ignore the importance of the work of the following:

• Music and Dance venues such as Africana,Spiti Art Bar, Kerameio,  Jazzet, Orfeas, Almagesti, Glendora, Faust, Poetry, Cobra High, Underflow, On Off Studio, P6, KET, ZP87, Embros, Blue Fox, Half Note, Gazarte, the Niarchos, Onassis and Goulandris Foundations, Oratos and the Kafodion Elliniko in Thessaloniki, Notos Jazz Bar in Patras, Connectiva in Larissa, Fougaro in Nafplio and in the past: Jazz Club of Barakos, Paraphono, Zoo, Mikro Mousiko Theater, Jazz Upstairs, Dizzy Miles, Athenaeum Kelari, Jazz Point, Beton7, Akrovatis, Duende Jazz Bar in Larissa and Thessaloniki, Pagopoieio in Heraklion, etc.
• Radio stations and shows, such as Jazz FM, Ilan Solomon’s shows on “Trito Program” on Radio24/7, Vassilis Liori’s “Jazz on the Web” the station moonshine radio.gr, Manthos Giourtzoglou on Ert Open (Keep Jazzin), George Govesis (Jazz Impressions) on vpradio.gr, Dimitri Trikas (Jazz in the City) on Trito program, Eleni (One +1 O’Clock Jump) on Strummer Radio, etc.
• Jazz festivals, such as Technopolis, Ilion (Jazz in the Park), Koropi, Heraklion (International Jazz Meeting Kostas Kouvidis and Jazz in Progress Festival), Syros Jazz Festival, Tinos Jazz Festival, Rhodes (two festivals), Kozani Festival, Nafplion Festival, Vlatos and Vamos in Crete, MeliJazz in Leonidio, Athens Rhythm Hop, Preveza Festival, Greek Jazz by Fakanas etc.
• Magazine publications, such as Jazz & Jazz and in the past the magazine “Jazz”, etc.
• Digital infrastructures and sites on the web, such as Jazz Events Live, Jazz Library, and various facebook Jazz groups.
• Crowdfunding campaigns for individual musicians and bands: Spiral Trio, Andreas Polyzogopoulos, Petros Klambanis, Teri Vakirtzoglou, Stelios Hadjikaleas, etc.

All these are indicative references, as the corresponding initiatives have been innumerable for several decades and we might not know all of them.

The steps that have already been taken in the direction that we describe are:

1. The creation of the “Dance that Jazz!” Facebook group in 2019 to bring together the jazz music community with the jazz dance community.
2. Funding a swing jazz music and dance show at the 1st CIVINET Forum in 2021, featuring Jeepers Creepers and the Rhythm Hoppers.
3. Funding a concert of authentic Asia Minor and Rebetiko music at the Mediterranean Mobility Forum in 2022, with Mantikos, Pappas and Manousakis.
4. Financing the printing of CDs for the albums:

    – Instinct (Mitropoulos, Sidirokastritis)

    – Context (Papanastasiou, Chatzianagnostou, Konstantinou, Yaxoglou)

    – It’s About Spirituality (BYS Trio: Boukalis, Yaxoglou, Sidirokastritis)

    – Lafina (Harris Lambrakis Quartet: Lambrakis, Theocharis, Tsekouras, Sidirokastritis)

The network already has a first statute in order to obtain a VAT number and financial status activity, as soon as possible. However, we would like to ask you, through this digital form by 30 March, to inform us about the following:

• If you are interested in becoming a beneficiary member of the network (only creators and collectives), please provide us with your name and contact details.
• If you are creative artists, tell us what specific materialistic support you need for your projects (mention specific examples and indicative amounts of funds).

• If you have an organization or a company that could provide financial or in-kind support for future projects, please send us your contact details and indicative examples of your possible contribution.
• What initiatives do you think we could take to support and promote Greek jazz and improvisation scene in Greece and abroad? Kindly, do not limit your imagination.

The next steps in the formation of the network will be announced soon.

The management team:

Kosmas Anagnostopoulos – mobile: 0030 6944120761

Manthos Giourtzoglou – mobile : 0030 6932080303