The Festival MINUS ONE was born as an ideal continuation and extension of the Italian Jazz On the Road project: after exporting the new Italian jazz to Europe, the Saint Louis now proposes, with Minus One, to reach more distant destinations, going beyond the European borders.

The first edition of the Project Minus one festival, supported by MiBact and from SIAE (Ban "S'Illumina 2018"), arrives in February 2019 in Tbilisi, Georgia, where Saint Louis has found in the G. Sarajishvili State Conservatoire an ideal, receptive and proactive partner, as well as a socio-cultural context in rapid expansion and openness to the outside.

"Minus One" is the chosen title because the Italian artists have left for Georgia in basic or reduced formation to be completed by One local musician, in order to make the intercultural collaboration deeper and more rooted, allowing a real and intensive exchange rather than a passive use of a finished product. All was declined in a week of double evening concerts, afternoon rehearsals and masterclasses, night jam sessions.

The formations selected to participate in the Project are among the most innovative proposals born and raised in the Saint Louis area:

• student and alumni groups such as Stefano Minder and Dumbo Station
• projects by young and innovative teachers such as Atrìo. and Nicola di Tommaso Quartet
• Zadeno Trio, winner of the European Jazz Contest 2017
• the new project by Paolo Damiani “New Band” which sees the great Maestro flanked by graduates from Saint Louis and the Santa Cecilia Conservatory.