Από τον κοσμοπολιτισμό στο μικρό κλαμπ: Πώς μαθαίνουν οι τζαζ μουσικοί στην Ελλάδα;

Jazz music idioms have a long-established history in Greek scenes and recordings, however formal jazz education in the country has only developed robustly in the country since the 1990s. What is the connection between the establishment of jazz education programmes and the development of a professional milieu? This chapter will analyse the ways in which Greek jazz musicians learn and compare it to the literature on popular music education in international contexts. Based on ethnographic research since 2006 and the author’s personal experience within the circuit of Greek jazz music as a student, teacher, and performer between 1998 and 2008, this text will illustrate the multiplicity of learning pathways and structures in jazz, a musical culture that becomes imported and subsequently domesticated in Greece as a ‘cosmopolitan subculture’. Through personal narratives from jazz musicians, the chapter will trace the dynamic changes of the learning landscape, from self-training and studies abroad, to the establishment of jazz programmes within the local conservatory and academic system, as well as the flourishing of a local scene of jazz virtuosos. Finally, the chapter will highlight the importance of jazz skill in professional instrumentalists as they transfuse it into the wider national music industries.