After years of discussions and preparations, the European Jazz Federation was at last officially founded in Venice, in May of this year. Now the time has come to realize the noble objectives set forth in the Statute of the organization. A recent (September 20-21) meeting of the Board, called by EJF President Lance Tschannen was devoted to the various problems of the Federation, membership matters, and plans for the future. The two days and nights of discussions in beautiful Edelberg brought some concrete decisions which should result in first revenues, first memberships. The following notes should not be treated as official minutes of the meeting, they are a collection of impressions and suggestions, which I hope will be of interest to our Readers.

The Board members present at the conference included: President Lance Tschannen (Switzerland), Vice Presidents Jan Byrczek (Poland), Charles Delaunay (France), Lubomir Doruzka (Czechoslovakia), Wolfram Roehrig (GFR); General Secretary Johann Fritz (Austria); Treasurer Don Aldridge (Great Britain); and as guests Claus Schreiner, Joe Viera (both GFR), and Jean-Louis Ginibre (France). George Gruntz, known Swiss musician, was also present. Valuable help in the organization of the conference was shown by Andre Berner, who organized the amateur jazz festivals in Zurich. I would like to take this opportunity to express in the name of all participants deep gratitude for their assistance.

Secretary General Johann Fritz reported on the operations of the Secretariat since the Congress. The Statute has been published in pamphlet form, Board members supplied with private stationary, membership access questionnaires prepared, and press archives initiated.
One cannot underestimate the importance of the Secretary's trip to the USA, undertaken with the purpose of presenting the EJF idea to the American jazz community. As it turned out, the American jazz millieu is interested in the Federation, and many associations and individuals expressed the wish to cooperate with the organization. Concrete results of the trip: contacts with oustanding American musicians interested in coming to Europe to take part in our festivals.

At present, regular operations are carried out by: the Library Center in Brussels, Festival Division in Zagreb, Education Center in Munich, Jazz Forum in Warsaw. Interesting initiatives supported by the Federation include the Budapest Festival of Student Jazz Groups and another Jazz Workshop being prepared by the Austrian TV.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
The prestige and influence of an organization depends to a large extent on the number of members and their work. It was decided to acquaint as many as possible musicians, clubs and associations with the Federation. Claus Schreiner will prepare an informative folder, explaining the aims and problems of the Federation, as well as benefits offered by membership, and the formalities of becoming a member. The accepted version of the membership access questionnaire will be published by JAZZ FORUM, and will also be distributed in bi-lingual (English and the national language) editions in all countries of Europe. It will be posisble to pay group membership dues and individual due in the currency of each country directly to the main EJF account in Switzerland, or to EJF sub-accounts in each country.
Federation members will be able to buy JAZZ FORUM at half price. The General Secretariat had already received many
queries and offers connected with membership. There seems
to be the biggest interest for joining in the German Federal Republic, Austria, France, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Hungary, and Poland. The Soviet youth organization Komsomol is also interested in becoming a member.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

President Lance Tschannen explained that about 20,000 Swiss franks would be needed to initiate regular operations. Since it is improbable that any government will donate the sum, and private sponsors would limit to some extent the independence of the Federation, it was decided that bank credits would have to be procured. This might be difficult since the Federation is not a well-known organization.

Despite that, President Tschannen has already approached the International Overseas Investment Bank for credits. Lubomir Doruzka expressed an opinion, shared by everyone, that besides trying to get European show business people interested in its activity, the Federation must find its own ways of guaranteeing an income. Several projects with this in mind were offered for discussion and one, Lance Tschannen's was adopted. It suggests that festival, contest, course, etc. organizers be obliged to pay $ 50 for advertising their events as being "under the patronage (or auspices) of the European Jazz Federation". An idea was adavanced of organizing a presumably profitable jazz contest, similar to the one organized by F. Gulda in Vienna in 1966. In connection with first membership dues payments the
Treasurer and the President were authorized to open a current account with the Union Bank of Switzerland.

FESTIVALS

About 50 jazz festivals are held every year in Europe. The Federation can help their organizers by coordinating the festivals, advertising them, making them more attractive. During the discussions, Lance Tschannen suggested issuing an LP with the highlights of European jazz festivals. The interested organizing committees should send tapes with no more than 3 seven-minute performances by national musicians to Lance Tschannen. The tape should be accompanied by information about the festival and the performers. A record like that would be excellent publicity, both for the festival and the artists. The preparations for this will be handled by Lance Tschannen, Claus Schreiner, Joe Viera, Charles Delaunay, and Lubomir Doruzka. The festivals in the following cities have been invited to contribute materials for the first LP: Molde, Pori, Stockholm, Warsaw, Prague, Bologna, Berlin, Budapest, Bilzen, San Sebastian, and Zurich.

JAZZ ON THE RADIO AND TV
The possibilities of cooperation between EJF and the European Broadcasting Union were drawn by German Jazz Federation President Wolfram Roehrig. There seem to be some definite fields in which EJF and EBU could cooperate: popularization of jazz, recording of the best groups and soloists.

In the meanwhile, Lance Tschannen (in professional life head of the English programs of the European and Overseas
Services of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation) has introduced a monthly jazz show (the last Friday of each month) called "The EJF Radio Panorama". Besides interviews with musicians and promoters, the show will offer jazz news, new recordings, etc. It is interesting to add that it will be aimed at practically the whole world, i.e. reception will be possible in North America and Australasia. Materials for "The EJF Radio Panorama" should be sent to: Swiss Broadcasting Corporation Lance Tschannen 3000 Bern 16 (phone: 031/44 66 44) SWITZERLAND.

The next meeting of the Executive Board will take place in March 1970 in Vienna, during the jazz festival for amateurs. The meeting will be attended by the Board as well as the chairmen of active divisions. The conference will be organized by General Secretariat of the Federation and the Austrian Jazz Federation. Other planned meetings: one of the Division of Jazz Critics and Journalists and JAZZ FORUM editorial staff at the Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, on October 16-19; and one of the Division of Jazz Festivals in Prague, during the Praha 69 Festival. As usual, JAZZ FORUM Readers will find reports on these meetings.
The conference in Engelberg ended in a relaxed mood: the participants were shown a new Ellington movie called "On the Road" and heard a lecture by George Gruntz about his tour of Tunisia. You will find more about it in the next JAZZ FORUM.
JAN BYRCZEK