19/06/2026
📀 This is our a newest blog category about some very unique DJs that are curating a 5 track playlist for Groove in Athens.
Through this new project, we aim to highlight and support DJs we truly appreciate, while showcasing quality music, albums and artists from all different genres across the jazz spectrum.
👉You will find all the Groovy Playlists on our Youtube channel & the full article on our Website ➡️ https://grooveinathens.gr/groovy-playlist-by-dj-viktor/. 🔗
🎧Our 6th Guest: DJ Viktor
“These five recordings reflect what draws me most strongly to swing music right now: the balance between individuality and collaboration, complexity and simplicity, energy and restraint. Though they span different ensembles, eras, and personalities, they all reveal the same essential truth: swing is not just a style of music and dance, but a method of listening and responding.
Some of these performances, like Count Basie Orchestra’s One O’Clock Jump (1937) and Kandylamb (1945) by Sonny Greer and the Duke’s Men, drive forward with irresistible momentum, powered by rhythm sections so deeply connected that every note feels inevitable. Others, like Mary Lou Williams’ Twinkling (1936) move with patience and space, proving that swing does not require speed or volume to be compelling. Whether in a roaring big band or a relaxed small-group session, the musicians create musical momentum together, each voice contributing something distinct while remaining connected to the whole.
Another thread running through these selections is the tension between innovation and simplicity. Figures like Mary Lou Williams, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie are rightly celebrated for their musical sophistication, yet some of the most satisfying moments come from remarkably simple ideas: a perfectly placed accent, a sparse piano phrase, a riff that lands exactly where it should, or a melody delivered without unnecessary embellishment. Laughing At Life (1937) by Edgar Hayes And His Orchestra is a simple pop tune, delivering a positive message about life with a sweet and warm backup from the band. Technical mastery matters, but these recordings remind us that clarity, feel, and timing matter just as much.
As a dancer, I am especially drawn to the way these musicians exist time, how they shape the pace and energy, coalescing around the steady beat that provides the backbone for swinging. The time in Slam Slam Blues drips right off the beat sweet molasses, sticky and rich with flavor. The strongest moments are often not the busiest ones, but the moments where the groove settles in and creates space for everything that follows (such as the 7th blues chorus of One O’clock Jump about 1:53 into the track - no soloist, no riff, just the engine of the rhythm section with a few sprinkly decorations from Count Basie on piano). Swing lives in that balance between tension and release, between individual expression and collective purpose.
I hope these recordings inspire you to follow your own curiosity. If a particular tune, soloist, or ensemble catches your ear, I invite you to explore further. Jazz history is a vast network of connections, and following a single thread often leads to unexpected discoveries.
Thanks for checking it out”
Viktor Lillard
DJ Viktor Bio 🎧
Hailing originally from Ithaca, New York, Viktor Lillard is a passionate and multi-talented creative force, with a specialty in Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz dance. In addition to being an accomplished dancer and enthusiastic musician, Viktor is an avid collector of music with a deep knowledge of jazz music and jazz history. He has been keeping dance floors moving for over a decade in various local scenes in the Midwest of the US, across Europe, and at some premier events such as Lindy Focus and Herrang Dance Camp.
Viktor has a diverse music taste and his favorite artists shift from week to week, but he specializes in swing, bebop, traditional jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul music.
Now, Viktor is based in Athens, Greece, where he helps to organize and teach in the dance school “Hoppers.”
