Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble

"Jazz can be very diverse," says the ensemble's leader, Jievaras Jasinskis. "I often hear that jazz is not for everyone, and I find it particularly interesting to turn this concept upside down. I see no reason why we can't hear elements of contemporary music, rave, techno, folklore, and the like in jazz. We are interested in gathering like-minded people, jazz creators, musicians, and giving them ways to explore their inner composers, experimenters. When different thoughts come together it can be very interesting.” Currently, the ensemble includes 13 composers, and Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble aims to present not only JJAZZ publications but also original community projects on local and international stages. "The music industry today is full of labyrinths," shares the ensemble director Dorotėja Būdaitė, "I want to unravel them and find ways to show Lithuanian jazz to wider audiences because I sincerely love this genre and constantly find musical surprises in it, and the ensemble's community continuously inspires to never stop searching and having fun." Since 2022 JJAZZ have released 5 albums, 3 vinyls, played over 80 concerts and currently are planning their second international tour.