Hurdy-gurdy meets percussion. Matthias Loibner, the undisputed innovator of this strikingly exotic, medieval instrument and Lucas Niggli, who has been at the forefront of European Jazz for many years team up. Touching and intoxicating, fed by a huge repertoire between classical music, electronics, tradition and imagination, these two exceptional artists paint sounds into the now. In every colour, every note of their vibrant playing, a silent storm lurks, waiting to break loose in rhythmic cascades and avalanches of sound.  

Few legendary figures have inspired so many artists as Faust. In particular, Goethe's work has proved a lasting source of inspiration: it is not simply a cornerstone of literature, but prompts all generations of musicians and composers to elaborate their personal reflections. Elemér Balázs Jr. originally conceived the music as a contemporary piano quintet, in which jazz and improvisation play a major role alongside classical elements. The composer has invited his distinguished musician friends to the concert, who are performing together for the first time. The title of their concert refers not to specific scenes from the drama, but to musical scenes that, like in a Wagnerian opera, are linked by leitmotifs that re-emerge and interlock from time to time.  

Dominika Ács and Krisztián Oláh bridge the gap between interpretation and improvisation. The duo's music is characterised by a modern, contemporary sound that exploits both the melodic and percussive aspects of the flute, the human voice and the piano. Dominika Ács and Krisztián Oláh strive to find those musical intersections independent of genres that can be born from the collaboration of two open-minded artists. In their repertoire, they often return to Western European classical works, performing them in their own arrangements, as well as music by Ligeti and their own compositions. The programme thus offers the two artists the opportunity to create a shared soundscape and expression that showcases the intersection of classical and contemporary thought, tradition and innovation. In addition to the compositions, there is a strong emphasis on spontaneous collective improvisations, reflecting both on the works performed and on the present moment.

Dear Visitors, We regret to inform you that Binder Quartet’s concert is cancelled due to health issues. Instead, Dominika Ács & Krisztián Oláh will perform on this evening. Tickets purchased online will be automatically refunded by InterTicket Kft.Tickets purchased on the spot may be refunded at the BMC Info Desk. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate for your understanding. Budapest Music Center The legendary Binder Quartet (Károly Binder, Mihály Dresch, Róbert Benkő, István Baló) in the late seventies and early eighties was one of the most original and defining formations of Hungarian jazz at that time. After the breakup of the band, Károly Binder achieved significant success as a composer and performer: he won the first prize of the Kalisz International Piano Competition, the Ferenc Erkel Prize, the 1991 Jazz Record of the Year award, the eMeRTon Prize for the best soloist, the first Hungarian Radio Jazz Competition and the Artisjus Award. He formed a band again after no less than forty-nine albums. He made several records with his regular partner, Mihály Borbély. In the spring of 2012, they started working with drummer Ákos Benkó (who was replaced by Tamás Hidász in the band two years ago) and bassist Tibor Fonay, and the quartet also released four CDs (Retropolis II, Összegyűrt kottafejek, Old Dreams New Dimensions and Nevergreens). At this concert, they present their 5th recording, Silence Over the Mountains.

Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz history. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is at the heart of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience. Two shining stars of the Count Basie big band have teamed up for this session, accompanied by a noble band indeed. It was released under Harry Sweets Edison’s (1915-1999) name as the leader, but the presence of his friend of many decades, Lester Young is even more memorable. Unfortunately, Young’s health had been fragile for some time, and he hardly made any more recordings. He died next year, at the age of 49. „Sweets” on the other hand, lived long and enjoyed being awarded as a NEA Jazz Master in 1992. The year of the recording, 1957 is usually referred to as a transitory period in jazz. Unphased by what changes were to come, these two stars of their instrument, plus their pianist, Oscar Peterson, and some other celebrated artists, think of Ella Fitzgerald for instance, have developed a perfect blend of mainstream combo jazz these years. It was crystallized at the tours and concerts of Jazz at the Philharmonic, and it was down-to-the-point, really meant business, avoided extremes, and was always witty. They didn’t feel the urge to change what they have been doing in the coming years, and it was indeed the standard for many years. The shiny trumpet sound of Edison, always natural, talkative, able to put forward as many long notes as catchy variations, has already made him famous in the thirties. Over time his taste developed, and his soli conquered new grounds. All the greatest names wanted him to play trumpet when they were singing, from Billy Holiday to Frank Sinatra. The personality of Lester Young was different, he was prepared to reveal the darker side of his soul, and he felt the complexities of the world around us, however he and Edison provided absolutely perfect harmony, despite their emotionally contrasting disposition. Young took up the clarinet on two tracks and the band members were leaving him all the space he needed. Well, it is hard to imagine a better rhythm section at the time than the Peterson–Herb Ellis–Ray Brown–Louie Bellson section of this ensemble. The fading powers though still captivating beauty of Young’s playing will be impersonated by János Ávéd.

The Daveform Quintet, specialised on modern jazz, creates a unique fusion of American, Scandinavian and Balkan jazz, with room for large-scale improvisations. From jazz ballads to contemporary classical music and sloppy grooves, the guys show off a wide range of musical devices. The band's founder, composer and drummer is Dávid Szegő, who is making his debut as a jazz composer with this band. Previously known for his music for theatre, he now shows a completely different side of his personality in a chain of modern jazz compositions, full of exciting and unusual twists. Each member of the quintet is an inescapable figure on the Hungarian jazz and popular music scene, both as a performer and as a composer. Together with Dániel Mester, Gábor Subicz, Krisztián Oláh and Ernő Hock, the group unleashes forces that guarantee a collective ecstasy for the listener. Daveform Quintet's music is renewed from concert to concert, adapting to time and space, constantly in motion, pausing only for a moment to take off again.

This collaboration of four outstanding artists forms a peerless combination of sax, guitar, organ and drums, leading to stunning results in terms of sound and arrangement, sparkled with rhythmic ideas, texture and space. The artists’ enthusiasm, passion, intensity and warmth can be experienced in every moment of their live performance, presenting an inspiring and enjoyable powerhouse of original compositions. After the success of the album “Life on Earth”, with Antonio Sanchez on drums, their new album “Light in the world”, featuring legendary drummer John Riley, got equally enthusiastic critical acclaim. As Dan Bilawsky wrote in All About Jazz: “There's much to home in on during these performances – Zjaca's slanted sensibilities, Chicco's ability to fill the canvas without ever overplaying his hand(s), Bedetti's open-throated strengths and autodidactic genius, Riley's 360-degree grasp of a drummer's role –, but it's the way these four interact with each other that turns out to be the album's greatest gift. Whether trading solos, perfectly locking up prescribed passages or using their ears to guide voicings and movements, there's always a fine balance at play.” Active in the international jazz scene, band leader Ratko Zjaca and renowned organist-pianist Renato Chicco have both won awards for their achievements. Apart from their work as a quartet, all four members have appeared in numerous concerts and recordings of famous musicians as sidemen.  

Incorporating Latin American serenity and sweet melancholy, Cafuné's repertoire is made up of special pieces of traditional South American guitar music. The world of pulsating samba and soft bossa nova is reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the sixties. In its acoustic sound, the band aims to continue the tradition of Dilermando Reis, Augusto Garoto, Baden Powell and Luiz Bonfa. This sound is further enhanced by the voice of Anna Pataki, who interprets this style with rare naturalness in Portuguese and Spanish. This evening, Cafuné will present its second album Inspiração, containing internationally less-known pieces of Brazilian music, uniting sparkles, elegance, virtuosity, freedom, melancholy and joy.  

The legendary Makám band, led by composer and lyricist Zoltán Krulik, celebrates its 40th anniversary next year. They have been one of the founders and a major figure of the Hungarian world music scene ever since. The band has undergone several changes in the past decades, but the original spirit has remained intact. Krulik's latest venture, the Makám Quartet, was formed in the spring of 2023 with the aim of presenting the works of contemporary Hungarian poets: their repertoire includes poems by Mari Falcsik, Attila Jász, Tamás Jónás, János Lackfi, Noémi László, Anna Szabó T., János Térey and Krisztina Tóth. In addition to the Quartet, the KruBaVi Trio, active since 2020, will also be presenting songs by Endre Ady and Zoltán Somlyó, as well as songs by Krulik's former group Robinzon Kruzo.

Comprising a string trio and two keyboards, this new group will perform Anne Quillier's new compositions. A cry of love for these terrestrial giants that are trees: precious, fascinating beings that are indispensable to the balance of life. The intimate miniatures of Les géants terrestres open a window onto an orchestral world in the making. Les géants terrestres is the realization of a childhood dream, to find oneself among strings with a whimsical keyboard, a unity of timbre, acoustic power, sobriety and particularly powerful expressivity. The band is led by the curiosity to confront a rare instrumental setting. Anne Quillier has surrounded herself with personalities ready to experiment, correct and adapt to her certainly atypical and unconventional writing for this project. On the other hand, Anne Quillier chooses musicians from diverse backgrounds. It's quite clear that one of the aims of this project will be to avoid stylistic labels. It's highly likely that this quartet will sometimes play rock with a grungy sound.

Paul Jarret and Jim Black share a taste for adventurous improvisations derived from so-called free music, and were both immersed in the indie rock culture of the 90s. Ghost Songs, initially conceived for Talents Adami Jazz with Jozef Dumoulin and Julien Pontvianne, is based on Paul Jarret's compositions, written especially for the project in order to offer a new and original creation. With deliberately simple, almost pop or folk melodies, the aim is to let these strong musical personalities express themselves individually and collectively, leaving plenty of room for sonorities, silence, improvisation and interaction. Freedom will be sought within very broad playing spaces, yet marked by melodies that speak to us and are poignant, almost childlike. These songs, the basic material of their repertoire, would appear as spectres, ghosts barely visible but nonetheless very present, naturally imposing an atmosphere and a state of mind. Always there in the background, they will play on the memory of musicians and listeners, appearing and disappearing in ever-changing, ever-renewed forms. Photos by Sylvain Gripoix

28 May 2023 marks the centenary of the birth of composer György Ligeti, whose lifelong search for new paths, from sound-surface music to micropolyphony and microtonality has left its defining, long-term mark on jazz musicians too. When French soprano saxophonist supreme, Emile Parisien and Italian pianist Roberto Negro – widely considered to be one of the most exciting pianists in Europe, on account of his own projects and his collaboration with the Ceccaldi brothers – choose to focus on Ligeti in their duo album Les Métanuits, this is not just some kind of quick centenary fix. For both musicians, this new venture has a long history. They quickly discovered that they both adored Ligeti, and found out that their favourite piece by Ligeti is the String Quartet No. 1, Métamorphoses nocturnes. “This string quartet is a rich source of inspiration for our improvisations,” Parisien explains. “The original motifs, moods and colours shine forth again and again. Harmonically, we expanded them with our ideas,” says Negro. Métanuits is a fascinating endeavour: a wonderful piece of craftsmanship in which everything seems to interlock. There is high-wire virtuosic playing, exploration of all the tonal possibilities of the instruments by both players. There is also a surprising lyrical warmth, as the pair follow each other through constantly changing re-framings of the theme, which takes on an irresistible expressiveness. In their homage to Ligeti, they don't even bother with the historicising conventions and barriers of an old, abstract or arcane avant-garde. Instead, they let this beguilingly contemporary music resound – and reveal its astonishing communicative strengths.  

ENEMY is the technicolor Berlin/London based piano trio featuring pianist Kit Downes, bassist Petter Eldh and drummer James Maddren. Described as ‘fiercely intense’ and ‘beautifully intricate’ by the UK’s Guardian, their two past records ENEMY (Edition) and Vermillion (ECM) spotlight three brilliant and creative musical minds, all equally committed to the exploration of constantly morphing new horizons. ENEMY is about intensity and complexity – tense negotiations involving cryptic rhythms and wonky beats with light speed reactions and high focus –, written to deliberately push them to their limits both creatively and technically. Now with a new album – The Betrayal, to be released on WeJazz in September 2023 –, this new set of music is full of contradictions, oysters and eels, and of course East Croydon. Never look back, face your fears, take it to the East Gate.  

The workshop concert series of the Modern Art Orchestra (MAO) continues this season on October 24. The aim of the series has been to further broaden the repertoire of the orchestra, while offering a once-in-a-lifetime workshop opportunity to fledgling or young composers and arrangers by working on their compositions and arrangements through the rehearsal process with a mentor from the orchestra. The series was launched in 2019 with subsidies from copyright organization Artisjus. The orchestra invited composers to apply with some experience in writing for a big band. The chosen pieces are finalized with the well-versed arrangers of the band. Mentors are members János Ávéd, Gábor Subicz, Kristóf Bacsó, Gábor Cseke, Attila Korb and bandleader Kornél Fekete-Kovács, who work with the composer in sections and in general rehearsals. The workshop is crowned by a concert for the general public. Composers featured during the first five years included Dániel Hofecker, Bence Vas, Mátyás Papp and Florin Gorgos (Vienna). The next concert features four composers. Sisa Michalidesová from Slovakia is a well-known, award-winning composer and flutist, who published a dozen albums, featuring, among others such American stars as Benito Gonzalez and Mark Whitfield Jr. She also composes for the theater and brings to the workshop themes of a play in the making about a 17th century mass murderer, the poisoner Guiliana Tofana. Founder of the theatrical troupe Grand Guignol, Miklós Preiszner is an actor, director, writer, and composer, who also used to play in a deep house band. MAO plays parts of his Pulp Suite, which is re-enlivening the world of American pulp fiction, recreating the buzz of a busy metropolis a few decades ago. Works by guitarist, classic and jazz composer Tibor Hegyi have been selected for the second time in the series. He founded the New Music ensemble Fragment and has been teaching and leading student big bands. This time two orchestra pieces of his are augmented by a Monk-arrangement. Bass player and composer-arranger Tibor Csuhaj-Barna D.L.A. has been a mainstay on the Hungarian jazz scene, he has been teaching at both the Conservatory and the Music Academy in Budapest. He has been featured on over fifty recordings. Although reminiscences of folk music can be discovered in music that he had composed earlier, his new piece for the big band explicitly deals with this kind of musical heritage.

Bassist Manel Fortià presents his most innovative and original project, Libérica, that makes an approach to Iberian folk music from a new fresh point of view. After a season living in New York and having played with great jazz icons such as Dave Liebman, Eliot Zigmund, Ari Hoenig or Chris Cheek among others, he decided to return to his homeland and explore into the traditional Catalan repertoire without letting go of the musical effervescence of the jazz mecca, where its multiculturalism has always led to the merging of different styles to create new ones. With this philosophy, Libérica seeks common ground between traditional Catalan song and flamenco, using jazz as a conducting vehicle. The renewal and updating of folklore is necessary and helps to keep it alive. His showcase at Jazziam 2023 in Barcelona was one of the most celebrated and successful in a fair full of international bookers. The Libérica group also includes two experts of flamenco-jazz made in Catalonia such as the singer Pere Martinez and the pianist Max Villavecchia from 'Los Aurora'. As an international collaboration of one of the new revelations in European modern jazz, the group is joined by French drummer Raphael Pannier (Miguel Zenón, Aaron Goldberg, etc.), resident between Paris and New York. Saxophonist and flamenco singer Antonio Lizana and lately, one of the most fresh and beautiful voices, saxophonist Eva Fernández from Barcelona, joined the group to bring some new Mediterranean colors. With the support of Institut Ramon Llull and JAZZ I AM within the project of Catalan Jazz On Tour.  

With their outside-of-genres, song-centric compositions, Subtones has become a favourite concert band on the Hungarian jazz-pop scene in just a few years. In order to connect even more directly with the Hungarian audience, their award-winning album Lángolj features only Hungarian-language songs with lyrics written by Mátyás Szepesi and Péter Závada. Subtones, founded in 2019 by trumpeter Gábor Subicz, is one of Hungary's most exciting supergroups. The arrival of vocalists Vera Jónás and Flóra Kiss has pushed the band towards vocal forms. "Right from the beginning, when this line-up was born, it became clear to me that I wasn't driven by a desire to communicate. With Subtones, I want to make music that I enjoy listening to. People often ask whether Subtones plays jazz or something else. For me, jazz is a mindset: you have to leave as many possibilities open as possible, while excluding playing music just out of habit. I love it when I don't know what other people are going to play, and those are my favourite moments when we kick the chair out from under us. There are so many different elements to our music, we play on quite a variety of stages, from TV studios to jazz clubs to festivals, and I feel that our music is relevant everywhere. With Hungarian lyrics we want to get closer to the audience. I feel that in a local context, English lyrics are a bit of a hiding, a mask. In our own mother tongue, the effect is much more instinctive, the song flies directly into the listener's ears", says Gábor Subicz, band leader and mastermind behind Subtones.  

Superposition is a new explosive group from Helsinki. Led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori, the quartet features Linda Fredriksson and Adele Sauros on saxes and Mikael Saastamoinen on bass. Louhivuori is known from his solo projects, his band Oddarrang, plus his inspired work with the likes of Tomasz Stanko. Fredriksson is best known from Mopo and Saastamoinen OK:KO. Sauros ranks among the most noteworthy new rising stars in the Finnish scene. The band's debut album was released by Helsinki's We Jazz Records in March 2020. On their debut album including 8 original compositions (6 by Louhivuori and one each by Fredriksson and Saastamoinen), Superposition present a powerful statement rich in musical ideas and solid in their execution. This is music for repeated listening, deep and darkly-toned yet bursting with the intensity of the new group. All throughout the album's different moods, Superposition sound remarkably together here. Superposition won the award for the Jazz album of the year at annual Finnish Emma Awards in 2020.   This concert is produced in cooperation with FinnAgora, the Finnish Institute in Hungary.

Kaisa's Machine pictures Mäensivu's vision of music in the form of her compositions. The music aims to be relatable in its pureness – sometimes it's bouncy and groovy, celebrating with you, other times making you ponder all the mysteries and tragedies of life on our planet. Playing bass is Mäensivu's way of dealing with it all. Mäensivu formed her ensemble Kaisa’s Machine in 2015 and made her debut with the group in 2017 on the tight-knit, imaginative In the Key of K. Since then she has moved to NYC and created an international career. And though she brought new players into her orbit, she kept the Kaisa’s Machine name, landing on Dave Douglas’ prestigious Greenleaf Music label for the follow-up release Taking Shape, her first album as a New Yorker. Mäensivu’s writing is richly emotive and demanding, though her playing is just as deep and frequently in the foreground: her fullness of tone and attack is immediately evident. All through her music there’s a sense of story, a sonic richness and surprise. “This album represents a new, progressive and hard-hitting direction in my music that is a reflection of New York,” says Mäensivu. “I was more of a straightahead bassist when I moved here, but the city has changed me as a player and composer. I feel like this music captures the magic of New York, where we all have this symbiotic language and the atmosphere is open to new things.”   This concert is produced in cooperation with FinnAgora, the Finnish Institute in Hungary.

Founded by two singers, Izabella Caussanel and Lilla Orbay, Ephemere's members are nationally and internationally awarded young musicians. Their compositions are based on early twentieth-century jazz and chanson with a Latin atmosphere, nostalgically evoking the intimacy of a smoke-filled bar. The band's repertoire is extremely varied, featuring original songs, jazz standards, French songs and world music influences, all combined with a unique sound. The compositions are performed in Hungarian, French and English. The word Ephemere is the French equivalent of mayfly. However, instead of its general sense, the band's choice of name gives the term a new meaning: their approach emphasises rebirth and the living of the moment. The contrast between their improvisational, jazzy style of playing and the composed music also make them instantly recognisable.  

schntzl is a Belgian duo that creates hyper visual music, provocative but kind. Their music can be heard as pop music of a parallel universe, a teardown of established values but with a taste for kitsch. Accompanied by their percussion, samplers, keyboards and drums they function as a fail-safe orchestra of two people, dancing and orbiting around each other.

Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz history. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is at the heart of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience. Philly Joe Jones (1923-1985) – another centenarian of the Autumn season of the Modern Art Orchestra's series –  provided the drum part on so many sessions, live and studio, that it would be easier to list those who he hasn’t played with, rather than the jazz greats he has played with, such as Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Archie Shepp and Sun Ra. Jones  already enjoyed respect at a young age since he was drumming with so much fire, while always as punctual as an atomic clock. His recordings are basic material in all the drum schools. His solos on this session, Trailways Express are especially outstanding, not just his accompanying. Alternative album titles of some editions from among the 17 different versions of this material were Mo Joe, as well as Gone, Gone, Gone. Jones used to live in Europe for a couple of years where  he was teaching in various places and frequently joined his fellow countrymen when they were touring. He organised a band of his own in London based on local talent in 1968, but those talents were just as good internationally as it gets, such as sax player Pete King and trumpet player Kenny Wheeler (not to mention his unforgettable flugelhorn). Although the latter player had soon become a major voice in the emerging avant-garde, what this album contains is serious be-bop playing with just a bit of salt of modernism added. It also bears witness to the fact that during this time British jazz was nothing less than top world class, even if they outside world only took note of The Beatles. Although playing together as young brothers, trombone player Chris Pyne and pianist Mike Pyne had earned recognition separately before this session, where they were reunited. Tenor player Harold McNair also contributed significantly to the emerging authentic sound but his flute solo (Here’s That Rainy Day) stands far out. Composers of other tunes include Gershwin, as well as Tadd Dameron, the leader of the first major band Jones joined early in his career. The title tune is an original by Jones, based on the chord progression of Two Bass Hit by Miles Davis. Rejuvenating the session will be mostly the task of the horns, but the driving seat this time is reserved for the exquisite drummer, László Csízi.

Rarely could a project be called such a culmination point of a career as what Kris Defoort presents with Pieces of Peace. Just about all the backgrounds, influences and acquaintances the iconic Belgian composer and improvising pianist collected throughout his long career come together in this distinct and original musical adventure. Together with vocal artist Veronika Harcsa and three fellow musicians, he forms a chamber orchestra in the strict sense of the word, although they are by no means restricted to that one idiom. As an experienced opera and classical composer, Kris Defoort dribbles the timbres, harmonies, dynamics and, if you like, drama of a complete (opera) orchestra through these compositions, supplemented by an inescapable layer of jazz, obviously the other form of music that remains continuously prominent in Kris' life and DNA. As always in his work, improvisation is also added as a core element, not least thanks to the voice and inventive personality of Hungarian vocalist Veronika Harcsa, a true European reference in this field. This duo has worked together regularly over the past decade, including for Diving Poet Society (2017, W.E.R.F.) and in DUET: pure vocal and piano improvisations, on poems by Theodor Roethke, Peter Verhelst and William Blake. Those musical ideas formed the framework when composing the final new song cycle Pieces of Peace. The duet was then quickly expanded into a quintet, with Lode Vercampt on cello, Jean-Philippe Poncin on clarinets and Benjamin Sauzereau on electric guitar. Intimate and joyful, playful and complex, lyrical and rhythmic, layered and full of detail, each track on the eponymous record unfolds like a story in itself. They are all states of emotions, impressions from real life - another reference to opera. They are also an ode to the voice, the human instrument par excellence. As improvised compositions (or composed improvisations?), Pieces of Peace represents a constant evolution that offers hope, softness and inspiration in times when all this sometimes dares to be lacking. Pieces of Peace will be released on October 6th 2023 via W.E.R.F. Records.

Aly Keïta comes from a Malinke Griot family from the Ivory Coast and is a master of the balafon, the African xylophone. The musician from Côted'Ivoire settled in Europe years ago and has since played with a number of jazz giants from keyboarder Joe Zawinul to Norwegian saxo-phonist Jan Garbarek. Aly Keïta's music comes into its own in a trio with percussionist Lucas Niggli and woodwind player Jan Galega Brönnimann. Both Swiss musicians were born in Cameroon and have known each other since childhood. Their first successful album Kalo Yele was released in 2016. They gave concerts and went on tour and have since refined and perfected their music, thus the new album Kalan Teban shimmers in even stronger colours. The hypnotic music of dense balafon melody patterns, the singing of Aly Keïta, the grooves of the drums and extensive improvisation arcs of saxophone or clarinet make Kalan Teban a trance-like listening pleasure.  

For more than two decades, Luca Kézdy has been interested in experimenting with music, playing with different sounds, timbres and effects, which not only pushes the boundaries of sound and compositional thinking, but also the traditional functions of the violin. Electronics play an important role in the music of his trio Santa Diver, founded in 2006, but are also a fundamental element of Luca Kézdy's solo performances and two solo albums, Home (2022) and Unseen Landscapes, to be released this autumn. In addition to written compositions, her repertoire increasingly includes free improvisation, of which Luca Kézdy said, "When sounds are being born, when they are being created, there is nothing but the here and now. It is then that I am closest to the creative force I am trying to convey with my instrument. This makes live music even more alive than when I play a composition I have already written. Free improvisation upon sketches takes up more and more space: free play, conversation with myself, exploring my own inner images, my feelings and thoughts of the moment. It is similar to the way I paint: the image evolves and changes as long as I have to react to it. With my paintings and my music, I seek out the unexplored places of my thoughts and feelings, where I like to be. It's an exciting and a bit risky journey..."  Photos: Levente Baltay

New Fossils is a fresh local supergroup who also impressed the Icelandic band ADHD who once they had finished their own House of Music concert, watched the Hungarians in a house concert. The members of New Fossils are committed to constantly searching out new paths and the inherent tensions in opposites. Their music is permeated with a sense of languor, while the link to the latest wave of contemporary urban jazz evident in the end result is clear. Song-centric compositions are taken to a higher level, sometimes with electronics, sometimes through improvisation. They achieve this with consummate ease given that they were prominent figures on the Hungarian jazz and popular music scene as members of the Dresch Quartet or Mörk long before this band started. Their debut album was released in 2023 on their own label, Morotva Records.  

Jort Terwijn’s Önder is a bass ensemble that creates original bass installations in an acoustic-electronic musical context. The  ensemble challenges the conventional role of the bass, transforming how it is approached, perceived or understood, creating a new frame of reference. From hypnotic compositions to labyrinthine drones and chopped-up beats, to open soundscapes and harsh avant-garde, the ensemble pursues new turns in the musical lineage of jazz. This concert is made possible thanks to Footprints, a project funded by the European Union within the framework of the Creative Europe program.   

Over the past 12 years, Partikel have carved a reputation as "one of the most exciting trios in improvised music" (Jazz Podium). Collectively they have performed with some of the most renowned musicians in the industry including Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Zara McFarlane, Gary Husband and Darius Brubeck. Together they have an exciting musical chemistry that has been honed over 12 years of working and performing together. They have performed their fresh and exciting take on the art of the saxophone trio all over the world from Shanghai Jazz Festival to Rochester Jazz Festival in New York. They have released three albums with leading UK label Whirlwind Recordings, the third of which was nominated for a parliamentary jazz award in the album of the year category, and they have just started a new relationship with German-based label Berthold Records, having successfully released their latest album with them. Tonight they will be joined by renowned cellist Natalie Rozario, to perform brand new music due to be recorded next year for their next album. This exciting collaboration sees the band exploring the worlds of jazz and classical music. The band creates cinematic and dynamic soundscapes with space for spontaneous interactions between saxophone and cello.  

Szabolcs Oláh weaves beautiful, soulful tales in the language of music, his unique musical world is imbued with serenity and philosophical depth. His main inspiration comes from the study of different spiritual traditions, reflecting on them in his music and processing his own experiences. Founded in 2012, the quintet has released four albums (Connection 2013, Gleam 2015, Dream Path 2016, Crystal Brook 2019). The current line-up of the band was heard for the first time on Crystal Brook, praised by renowned magazines such as Jazz Podium and UK Vibe. The bandleader has developed a new sound over a creative period of ten years, reinterpreting and expanding the harmonic world of jazz with twists and influences from other styles: he uses elements from romantic and early 20th-century classical music, or even from the rock music of the 2000s with a sure sense of proportion. This concert will present a selection of Szabolcs Oláh's work to date.  

The Emma Nagy Quintet represents the new generation of modern, contemporary jazz. Their sound is fundamentally shaped by the experimental spirit; the compositions include hard drum grooves, free improvisations, contemporary compositions in song form and other unique arrangements. Their music is characterised by contrasts and dissonance, improvisation and diversity, joy and spleen, a contemporary sense of life and a grotesque, raw utterance that exudes a kind of dreamlike charm. This diversity is not an end in itself, however, but allows the band to reach the deepest possible layers of chamber music on stage. The band, celebrating its fifth birthday this year, has already come a long way, having performed in Italy, Poland, Spain and Slovakia, as well as in competitions and festivals in Hungary.  

Since the beginning, the Modern Art Orchestra has often contributed to the soundtrack and incidental music of Hungarian films and theatre performances, and has also created ballet music together with László Dés. Several of the orchestra's renowned members have also made their mark as composers. This time the band is collecting a selection of works that belong in the realm of applied composition, because they are clearly worth recalling in concert as well. The backbone of the evening will be a suite compiled from the music for A Streetcar Named Desire, premiered in 2017 at the Erkel Theatre in Budapest. Some of the popular compositions by László Dés, a songwriter who is inescapable in the history of Hungarian theatre and film, will also be heard in new arrangements by members of the band. 

“The jazz magician can create an intimate bond with his audience through the senses, and for his first album, the Noé Clerc Trio has chosen the dreamy way. From the outset, the young trio moves us by revealing its musical intimacy and its various inspirations in Secret Place. (...) The ear happily wanders through this secret garden, a painting in which the three young musicians show great maturity in the finesse of their lines and the choice of colours. The palette is daring: blues, contemporary jazz, impressionist and traditional music.” (Album Revelation, Jazz Magazine, Walden Gauthier) Formed in 2018 with accordionist Noé Clerc (Undectet Band and Magic Malik), bassist Clément Daldosso (Enrico Pieranunzi, Andre Cecarelli), and drummer Elie Martin-Charrière (Pierrick Pedron Quartet, Thomas Bramerie Sides Story's), the group has won international competitions (Leopold Bellan in 2018, Jazz à St Germain des Près in 2019, Prix d'instrumentiste du festival Jazz à la Défense in 2021). Their first album Secret Place, released on the NoMadMusic label, features landscapes that are sometimes urban, sometimes wild, speaks of encounters and invites us to travel. It is a virtuoso and highly modern combination of three instruments rarely brought together. This concert is being performed as part of the “Jazz Migration” series established by AJC to support the professional development of new jazz groups.