The Covid-19 pandemic found Yako Trio in a state of creative tumult: their sophomore album was in the works, festivals in Greece and abroad were counting days for their appearance, while their local shows were on the rise. “These cancellations took a toll on us, but many events were rescheduled for next year, and we hope to perform in all those places soon,” they point out.

Nevertheless, they were anything but idle: they worked up their new album and took part in the recent 55th Dimitria, held online, though a one-of-a-kind concert. “We performed compositions from our new record, set to be released soon, as well as some tracks from our debut album Ode to Yannis. It was our first online concert to be prerecorded and not live. It goes without saying that this alternative cannot substitute live concerts with an audience, as it lacks interaction, one of the most important traits of music performance. On the other hand, though, in the times of the pandemic we’re living in, it is a lost-resort solution to make the best out of a difficult situation.”

Has the public’s response to jazz, both in Thessaloniki and in Greece overall, grown more enthusiastic over the last years? That’s a frequently asked question, “with no easy answer. Let’s just say that it’s on the same level. The jazz-loving audience may be limited, but it is certainly loyal.”

Yako Trio are gearing up to unveil their new album, hopefully through a live performance. At the same time, several collaborations with top-notch foreign musicians and participations at festivals are under way.