Vlatos Jazz Archives – Season 5 (2022)

Vlatos Jazz Season 5

By summer 2022, the world had begun to breathe more freely. Travel restrictions had lifted, masks were optional, and people were hungry for connection again. For Vlatos Jazz, Season 5 felt like a true homecoming — a return to something fuller, warmer, and more confident than the careful steps of 2020 and 2021.

The season expanded to 12 Sunday evenings in July and August — closer to the pre-pandemic rhythm. The historic 150-year-old stone church welcomed everyone back under the same sacred rules: no microphones, no amplifiers, no artificial lights. Candles glowed softly, doors stayed open to the mountain air, and the natural acoustics once again turned every note into an intimate embrace. Capacity settled at 60–70 people — still small enough to feel like a gathering of friends, large enough to sustain the growing reputation.

The lineup reflected renewal and deepening roots. Local Cretan musicians (violinists, guitarists, laouto players) remained the backbone, joined by returning international favorites — the Swedish pianist who had played in 2019, the French bassist who had waited two years, and new faces drawn by word-of-mouth: a Greek saxophonist from Athens, an Italian percussionist, even a brief visit from a Dutch double bassist. The music moved freely between straight jazz standards, originals, subtle Cretan influences, and tributes — always acoustic, always honest. The church’s resonance made silence as powerful as sound; the audience listened with the kind of attention that only comes when people know what it means to be denied the experience.Attendance climbed steadily. Villagers who had discovered the festival in earlier seasons now brought extended family. Chania residents made it a weekly pilgrimage. A small but growing number of international visitors — mostly from Northern Europe — planned their Crete trips around the dates. The donation box filled more reliably, allowing the cultural association to invest in small improvements: better seating cushions, a simple sound-dampening curtain for rainy nights, and a dedicated volunteer team to greet arrivals.

The after-concert table returned in full — musicians and villagers gathering outside or in a quiet corner, raki poured slowly, dakos and cheese passed around, stories flowing until the candles burned low. These moments became the real heart of the season: not just the music on stage, but the shared quiet afterward, the laughter, the sense that everyone belonged.

Season 5 was when Vlatos Jazz stopped being “the little thing up the mountain” and started being a name people knew. The audience no longer needed convincing to sit still — they came expecting to listen, and they stayed until the last note faded into the night. The church walls held every sound, the stars watched overhead, and the village itself seemed to exhale in relief.Twelve nights in 2022.
A fuller circle of listeners.
The same stone church, still teaching everyone how to listen.Season 5 was the season Vlatos Jazz truly came home — stronger, warmer, and ready for whatever came next.

Vlatos Jazz 2022 Program (Season 5)

The fifth season of the Vlatos Jazz Festival continued its growth as a beloved summer tradition, delivering intimate, acoustic-only jazz and world music concerts every Sunday evening in the historic 150-year-old stone church (Vlatos Music Hall) in the mountain village of Vlatos, western Crete. Curated by violinist Maria Manousaki, the season ran through the summer (roughly June–September, aligning with prior patterns), featuring unplugged performances, candlelit intimacy, mountain breezes, and a limited live audience in a post-pandemic recovery context—emphasizing resilience, community, and acoustic purity.This season showcased an expanded, high-caliber lineup blending Greek/Cretan stars with international guests, fusion styles, and innovative sets. Full concert recordings are preserved on the official YouTube channel (@VlatosJazz, “S05 Vlatos Jazz Season 5 (2022)” playlist), highlighting standout artists and performances:

• Markos Renieris (with Giannis Polichronakis and Michalis Sapounakis) — opening energy.
• Michalis Loufardakis & Kyriakos Stavrianoudakis — Cretan-jazz fusion (e.g., “Winter in Vlatos”).
• Sakis Tsinoukas (with Yorgos Kostopoulos) — dynamic collaborations.
• Dimitrios Vassilakis — soulful contributions.
• Maria Manousaki Quartet — curator-led highlights from her repertoire.
• Aposperia Jazz Quartet (directed by Lefteris Papadakis) — groovy jazz.
• Zacharias Spyridakis (with Giannis Polychronakis) — Cretan fire.
• Jorg Miegel & Sakis Tsinoukas — international flair.
• Areti Ketime & Petros Klampanis (with Yiannis Papadopoulos, ‘Sybethera’) — emotive world-jazz.
• Volosi — string-driven intensity.
• Thanos Stavridis (with Marios Makris, e.g., “Route E-75”).
• Adama — global influences.
• Pekka Pylkkänen — European saxophone prowess.
• Adedeji — captivating tracks.
• Jean-Loup Longnon (with Kostas Katsonis, standards like “On Green Dolphin Street” and “Satin Doll”).
• Shape of a Thing, Scrap Music (Vangelis Stefanopoulos & Andreas Polyzogopoulos).
• Despina Drakaki & Yiorgios Limakis, Epi K Paradox (featuring Lefteris Papadakis), Giorgos Milonakis, George Chachlakis, and others.

Organized by the Cultural Society “New Horizons,” the season stayed volunteer-driven, sustainable, and deeply rooted in Cretan heritage—offering joyful, connective live music as the world emerged from isolation. The archived videos (including top-viewed clips like Volosi and Scrap Music) capture the festival’s vibrant evolution and enduring appeal.

Markos Renieris, Michalis Loufadakis & Kyriakos Stavrianoudakis, Sakis Tsinoukas, Dimitrios Vassilakis, Maria Manousaki Quartet, Aposperia Jazz Quartet, Zacharias Spyridakis, Jorg Miegel & Sakis Tsinoukas, Areti Ketime & Petros Klampanis, Volosi, Thanos Stavridis, Adama, Pekka Pyllkanen, Adedeji, Jean-Loup Longnon, Shape of a thing, Scrap Music, Despina Drakaki & Yiorgios Limakis, Epi K Paradox, Giorgios Milonakis, George Chachlakis

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S05.E03 Sakis Tsinoukas and Yorgos Kostopoulos at Vlatos Jazz 2022

S05.E04 Dimitrios Vassilakis and Stephan Olofsson at Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

S05.E05 Maria Manousaki Quartet – Vlatos Jazz 2022

S05.E06 Aposperia Jazz Quartet – Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

S05.E07 Zacharias Spyridakis and Giannis Polychronakis on Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

S05.E08 Jorg Miegel and Sakis Tsinoukas – Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

Areti Ketime, Petros Klampanis and Giannis Papadopoulos – Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

S05.E09 Areti Ketime, Petros Klampanis and Yiannis Papadopoulos ‘Sybethera’ -Vlatos Jazz Summer 2022

Private video

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