Swing

There's a groovy night in store at the Stomping Ground (stompinground.gr) with a mixed swing and blues party geared by talented DJs Nefeli Psallida and Ioanna. Join the celebration as they cut the New Year's cake (Vassilopita) with fantastic prizes, including passes for February's Blender Swing Dance Weekend festival in Nafplio. Book your 5-euro tickets at stompinground.gr.

It's going to be a fun weekend at the Gazarte roof stage (gazarte.gr), with two uplifting shows by local staples on the live circuit.

"Godfather of swing" Ray Gelato will be getting pulses racing at the Half Note jazz club (halfnote.gr), with a set drawing on the golden age of the genre, in the 1950s. Tickets range from 20 to 30 euros and can be purchased at the door or in advance from viva.gr.

The Athens Big Band present their "The Swing Era" at the Maria Callas Olympia Municipal Music Theater. The show will also feature the Athens Lindy Hop dance company and musicians Jennie Kapadai and Stavros Romanos.

In its 10th year, Djangofest will feature nine bands and five dance groups in a celebration of gypsy jazz music inspired by 20th-century Belgian Jean "Django" Reinhardt at the Technopolis complex in Athens' Gazi district. "Django" Reinhardt traveled through Europe performing solo and in a quintet during the World War II era.

UK swing band the Jive Aces will be performing at the Municipal Gardens in Preveza on Friday, August 9. After going viral on YouTube with their recording of "Bring Me Sunshine," the six-member outfit launched into mainstream culture. They have released 11 albums and were semifinalists in Britain's Got Talent in 2012.

Gypsy swing meets traditional Greek sounds this Saturday when local jazz act Gadjo Dilo performs at the Gazarte rooftop terrace. Launching themselves into the Greek jazz scene in 2013, Gadjo Dilo's album "Manouche De Grec" fused the bouzouki with the gypsy swing guitar style of Django Reinhardt, a pioneering jazz musician.

The Swingin' Cats will be rocking the Roof Stage at Gazarte in Gazi on Friday, February 22, in another night of swing and rock'n'roll guaranteed to get your feet moving. The Greek retro band will take the stage at 10 p.m. and admission costs 8 euros.

Gazarte, 32-34 Voutadon, Gazi, tel 210.346.0347

The Swingin' Cats return to the Roof Stage of Gazarte on Thursday, July 12, for another night of swing and rock 'n' roll  and plenty of dancing. The band takes the stage at 10.30 p.m. and admission costs 8 euros.

Gazarte, Voutadon 34,
tel 210.34.60.347, www.gazarte.gr

Greece became accustomed in the years of post-junta bliss to dealing with domestic security issues in a rather superficial - if not flighty - manner. It can possibly be justified as a necessary phase that allowed the pendulum to swing back to the middle after seven years of iron-fisted military rule from 1967 to 1974.