Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley is “an excellent collaboration of Nancy Wilson’s voice with Cannonball Adderley’s alto sax from the early ’60s. Not entirely a vocal album, five of the 12 cuts are instrumentals. A highlight is the gentle cornet playing of Nat Adderley behind Wilson, especially on Save Your Love for Me and The Old Country. Cannonball Adderley's swinging, boppish sax is heard to excellent effect throughout. Joe Zawinul's work behind Wilson on The Masquerade Is Over demonstrates that he is a talented, sensitive accompanist. On the instrumental side, Teaneck and One Man’s Dream are especially good group blowing sessions. On the other end of the spectrum, Adderley’s alto offers a lovely slow tempo treatment of the Vernon Duke - Ira Gershwin masterpiece I Can’t Get Started. To keep the listeners on their musical toes, the first couple of bars of Save Your Love for Me are quotes from So What from the Miles Davis Sextet’s seminal Kind of Blue session. Given the play list and the outstanding artists performing it, why any serious jazz collection would be without this classic album is difficult to comprehend.” Dave Nathan - Allmusic

“Dresch is one of the most influential nurturers of a fertile fusion between Hungarian folk music and jazz” John Fordham - The Guardian “Oriented towards his Middle European legacy ..., Dresch never forgets his equally powerful jazz roots. Recapping of the head is mandatory throughout his compositions...” Ken Waxman - JazzWord

“Daniel Erdmann’s Velvet Revolution with French violinist extraordinaire Théo Ceccaldi and English percussion master Jim Hart (here solely on vibraphone) is a happy meeting of three kindred spirits and a tonal specialty. ...Velvet Revolution is a true European group with a strong spirit, wit, great musical ideas as well as fantasy and capacity to make it work in captivating ways.It’s not only the combination of instruments that is unique. The same applies to the playing. Fed by many sources, they act independently and together at the same time. They know what to play when, and how to arrive at a strong common theme, something that carries them along the predisposed into the imagined-in-the-moment. They are great at creating shifting atmospheres. It is heavy, then light again, firing at one moment and whispering the next.” Henning Bolte, All about jazz “...it is not only Erdmann’s concise compositions, specially designed for this trio, that give his band ‘Velvet Revolution’ a striking charism. Thanks to their individual virtuosity, Erdmann, Ceccaldi and the British vibraphone player Jim Hart might even have their own spark from children’s songs or famous chansons. Their joy of playing and close-knit interaction are a pleasure, the connection of high art, vitality and fine humor succeeds exemplary. Live on stage many improvisations shed new light to the pieces: the three of them balancing on the high ropes of the free, but never overbearing, imagination.” Norbert Krampf, FAZ After the huge German and international success of A Short Moment of Zero G, the trio's award-winning first album on BMC Records, they present their brand new material at the Opus, followed by a recording session of their second album at the BMC Studio. 

As prolific as ever, Szabolcs Oláh visits again to perform his brand new compositions in his unique style of clarity. In his fresh quintet, a new rythm section (Tamás Klimász and László Csízi) gives the creative foundation to the stylish and smart improvisations which Szabolcs is well known for.  szabolcsolahmusic.com facebook.com/olahszabolcsquintet facebook.com/szabolcsolahmusician 

The trio was founded at the end of 2017 at the initiative of guitarist Roland Heidrich, who first started playing in separate duos with Csaba Pengő and Zsolt Sárvári Kovács. But, having known them better, the opportunity for a long-awaited drum - bass - guitar trio soon started glimmering. During the past year’s work they have created a common voice that soon will be available on disc as well. Crudity of experimental rock, refined textures of “Northern jazz” as well as the exciting world of free improvisation all appear in the trio’s music. Roland’s themes provide the framework for a common adventure, where the classical trio setting gets to display in a broad variety. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roland-Heidrich-guitarist-and-composer

“The Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952-53 was one of the best-loved jazz groups of the decade and it made stars out of both the leader and trumpeter Chet Baker. Mulligan and Baker had very few reunions after 1953 but this particular album from 1957 is an exception. Although not quite possessing the magic of the earlier group, the music is quite enjoyable and the interplay between the two horns is still special. With expert backup by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Dave Bailey, these 13 selections should please fans of both Mulligan and Baker.”  Scott Yanow, AllMusic

“It’s wild, but immaculately played, and Pulcinella’s affection for good songs from any source is very evident.” THE GUARDIAN ****“Toulouse-based quartet making a joyful noise with a spicy cocktail of East European folk dance rhythms and contemporary jazz extemporisation.” JAZZWISE ****“The reasons to go for this enchanting album « ¾ d’once » are all good reasons.” LES INROCKS Made out of four major actors of the Toulouse scene, Pulcinella is surprising by its high energy and fertile imagination. «Punch», the classical character that originated in the commedia dell'arte of the 17th century is claiming for an extravagant music, generous and dynamic. With a very special sense of story-telling rising from the compositions and arrangements, Pulcinella offers an access to an inventive and original musical world. Hard to classify, the music of the band is full of colours and unpredictable characters. Pulcinella plays an omnivore kind of jazz, fond of rock, tango, musette, and Eastern European music... all in order to serve musical stories and sparkling colourful pictures! Pulcinella recorded their 5th album two years ago at BMC’s studio. The resulting 3/4 d’once was critically acclaimed, followed by extensive touring. Meanwhile the guys prepared the material for their next one, to be recorded again at BMC, after presenting it on stage of the Opus.

The flesh covers the bone, and they put a mind in there and sometimes a soul. Kalle Kalima and Andreas Schaerer reach out for existential music. Where Improvisation becomes the heavy drumbeat of an ancient heart,while composition gives birth to a new brotherhood of bouncing galaxies.Are we all trapped by a singular fate? The extraordinary Swiss master of human voice, Andreas Schaerer, and the similarly versatile Finnish guitarist, Kalle Kalima, are both regular guests in the Opus Jazz Club. In May last year they have even  been entering its stage together, both being members of the international quartet, Novel of Anomaly. After the unforgettable concert, they mentioned that a duo project of them has been developing since a while. It has started with the common spell of their occasional, completely improvised duo concert at the gala of the Voicingers Jazz Competition and Festival held in Żory, Poland, and after the necessary maturing process, the project has its launch in 2019 to hit the European jazz stages. Knowing the outstanding talents and magical creativity of the duo members, even experiencing personally the spell of their mentioned concert in Poland, the organizers of the Opus were sure that they didn’t take much risk when they were booking one of the first concerts of the duo for Opus’s January program right there an then, on the spot. 

The musicians of the ethno-jazz / contemporary chamber music outfit Trio Squelini played together for years in various groups, like Tin Tin Q, Ektar Szőke Quartet and others. The trio, starting with occasional performances, made its first recording in 2014, and became a regular concert act since its release, entitled Campiello. In 2016 they made their second release, Furioso, with contribution of the outstanding Hungarian celloist, Ditta Rohmann. Ditta Rohmann is a versatile musician, whom we may encounter as a soloist in great concert halls as well as improvising with world-music ensembles, or playing a major role in joint productions with dancers, as a chamber musician and, most recently, as an actress. facebook.com/triosquelini  dittarohmann.com 

“We want to play our music just as a river flows in its bed, and to re-paint the pictures expressed by our music time and again. We try to select the means, colours, and musical solutions to best reflect the feelings and thoughts behind each piece we perform – while keeping open the possibility to play them a little differently each time without losing what’s essential.” István Baló In July 2017, the group recorded the material of their first album at BMC's studio. Entitled Folyó a medrében (=River in its Bed), the debut CD was released by Hunnia Records in February 2018. 

“David Helbock is a musician to watch. [...] An impeccable pianist with a clear, crisp touch.” Jazzwise (GB)“Accomplished, melodic playing” The London Times (GB)“Tour d’Horizon surprises at every turn, a measured feast for the senses.” Downbeat (US)“Simply indescribable.” Jazz Thing (DE)“Exciting and full of surprises and delights.” Les Inrocks (FR) More than 20 instruments on stage, but just three musicians. David Helbock, Outstanding Artist Award Winner in Austria, mainly plays on instruments with keys. Johannes Bär does all the brass, from trumpet to bassflugelhorn and tuba and Andreas Broger plays wind-instruments like saxophones, clarinets and flutes. For their new program, Tour d’Horizon - From Brubeck to Zawinul released as a CD on the renowned ACT Music label, David Helbock got inspired by his favorite jazzpianoplayers and arranged their most famous tunes for this special line-up. So new, exciting versions of Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock or Bolivia by Cedar Walton emerged – but also soft, atmospheric pieces like Keith Jarrett’s My Song shine like new. Over the years Random/Control has developed a really distinct bandsound. Always different raw material – Austrian folkmusic, original compositions (in 2009 David Helbock had a big compositional project, where he wrote one piece every day for a whole year) and now these ‘Pianoplayer’s Hits’, the band always sounds like Random/Control - a ride on the rollercoaster for the ear and the eye. Or like Roland Spiegel from the Bavarian radio wrote already years ago: “...I think this musician with his ‘pianocap’ is one of the most exciting players of the young European jazz scene. The listener experiences something new when David Helbock plays. And it’s never ‘top-heavy’ music – it’s music that thrills the body and the mind...”

The Kosztolánszki Group is a vibrant young septet, playing their take on modern jazz based on the musical world of the late Fifties and early Sixties.

The János Nagy Trio will celebrate its 25th birthday in 2019. The lineup has changed couple of times since, but the most important of them was when in 2014 the ‘obligatory’ double bass player of a traditional piano trio was replaced by a violinist. “Without a bass instrument, I think, I have more freedom both in harmony, rhythm and in the group’s sound. For me no finished compositions exist, they change during the concerts constantly, so I can break the rules, set by ourselves, much more daringly and unbounded” says the pianist. In the spring of 2018 the trio released Debussy 100, an album dedicated to the magnificent French composer, featuring French saxophonist Vincent Mascart. If this still wouldn’t be enough, on November 24 a brand new other one, Yancha, will come out. The album, referring with its title to the pianist’s well-known nickname, features guest artists such as bass player Dominique Di Piazza and guitarist Mike Stern. “The album is sort of a self-definition. I’ve played and written many kinds of music in the recent years: music for contemporary puppet performances, soundtracks, arrangements of Protestant chants and jazz rock. I was looking for an answer to the question whom of all these I am mostly and tried to find it with the music on this album. It is a special gift for me to have such wonderful companions as Frankie Látó and Flóra Joubert, so I wrote most of the compositions for the band members. The guest appearance of the two fantastic, world-renowned musicians just elevated this feeling. It is a great pleasure and honour for me to play with Dominique Di Piazza for years, not only on concerts but being both of us among the tutors at the Balatonfüred World Music and Improvisation Camp in the summer seasons regularly. As a member of the group Balkan Union, I had the luck and pleasure to play with Mike Stern in the summer of 2017 at the Nisville Jazz Festival – the idea of his appearance on the album came through this joint concert experience.” János Nagy Yancha janosnagy.com dominiquedipiazza.com 

The incredibly gifted young alto-saxophonist Sándor “Soso” Lakatos has been playing professionally since the age of 12. Having made his mark on the Hungarian jazz world before the age of 20, he went to Holland to further his studies where he was tutored by the world’s leading jazzmen, like Miguel Zenon, Branford Marsalis, Gerard Presencer and Brad Mehldau, just to name a few. Since his return he is enriching the Hungarian jazz scene with his brilliant, incredibly intelligent and inventive playing. He is member of several groups like Balázs Bágyi New Quartet, Tzumo Exclusive or the Bart’z eColony Band. Since a couple of years, Soso leads his own quartet with various lineups. 

Two violins, a viola, a cello and the human voice is all they need. Two Austrians, a Taiwanese and a Dutch, radio.string.quartet describe their new work as some “CrossoverJazzClassicPopFusionRockNewMusicElectronic” thing. A rather intricate monstrosity of a word. For better understanding, they are also citing the names of artists who have inspired them in recent years: Nine Inch Nails, Franz Schubert, Feist, e.s.t., Arvo Pärt, Bugge Wesseltoft & Sidsel Endresen. Since they devoted themselves to the work of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, radio.string.quartet have gained a peerless reputation. The Viennese foursome are setting the bar high. For good reason: Wesseltoft, the Norwegian NuJazz pioneer, has co-produced their new album In Between Silence. The album was recorded live in the studio and further enriched with samples and overdubs. The use of vocals widens their horizon considerably, a first for the quartet. Berlin Techno DJ Henrik Schwarz is featured on one recording; mix and mastering were in the able hands of Jazzland-Mastermind Ulf Holand (Nils Petter Molvær). “There was a great longing for beauty and tranquility in us,” violinist Bernie Mallinger says about the gentle spark that ignited songwriting for their sixth album. In Between Silence shows great dynamics, a fearlessness concerning the use of experiments and wondrous sounds, while preserving catchy melodies. They set most personal stories to music; Mallinger describes their art as screenplays, realized in musical images. The calm before the beginning and the silence after the end – what happens in the interim? In Between Silence can be heard as the musical equivalent of the cycle of human existence. In the words of radio.string.quartet: “We play the song of life, full of chaos, energy and beauty.” radiostringquartet.net  

The trio was founded in 2015 by multi-instrumentalist Áron Tálas, guitarist Márton Fenyvesi and bass player Tibor Fonay, with the aim of creating experimental improvisational music based on genre-abridging grooves. The concert program, built on pre-composed rhythmic themes, develops itself out of improvisations drawn on elements of progressive rock, contemporary electronic music and dub. The trio is working on their debut album.

Pianist, composer and university teacher at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, Károly Binder is a significant musician, who vows his talent to new trends, alternative cultures and composition tecnhiques as well as to the synthesis of improvisation systems, without forgetting his own original musical roots. Binder is an autonomous musician whose compositions and piano playing do not represent one single style or genre category. He is a multidimensional artist with unbending determination, who – from the early 70s – moves along the chosen road on which he had no former Hungarian predecessors. In the development of Károly Binder as a composer, the grandiose ouvre of Béla Bartók as well as the folk music of the Carpathian basin, the early Hungarian homeland of the Volga and Kama, and even the American repetitive school of Steve Reich clearly can be traced. binderkaroly.hu 

Details soon!

Hannah James has been an unmatched force of innovation in British folk for nearly two decades. A multi-faceted performer, James’ virtuosic talent spans all her four disciplines: singer, accordionist, composer and clog dancer. She has amassed an international touring career, multiple award nominations, and credits in some of Britain’s most respected folk projects, including Lady Maisery and Songs of Separation. In 2015, James introduced her one-woman show, JigDoll. This innovative debut reinvented the notion of solo performance by combining all James’ disciplines simultaneously for an immersive, unforgettable song and dance experience. Utilising cutting-edge looping technology with vocal, accordion and composition skill, a multi-layered soundscape was woven onstage, providing the backdrop for James’ spellbinding fusion of traditional and wholly original dance. Now, the JigDoll Ensemble sees James enhanced by three masters of their instrument: percussionist András Des (Hungary), fiddle player Kate Young (Scotland), and bassist Marti Tarn (Estonia) perfectly articulate James’ visionary ideas for song, tune and dance. The resulting live masterpiece debuted at 2017’s English Folk Expo, gaining an awestruck standing ovation from distinguished folk industry professionals from around the globe and stunned UK audiences in 2018.

The Gramofon and Artisjus prize-winner jazz guitarist and composer teaches guitar since 1990, currently at the Béla Bartók Secondary School’s jazz guitar department and at the Jazz Faculty of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. He has played with dozens of internationally renowned musicians, of whom Archie Shepp, Palle Mikkelborg, Erik Truffaz, Charlie Mariano, Ian Ballamy, Lars Danielsson, Stephen James, Bebo Baldan, Federico Sanes, Theo Jörgensman are definitely has to be mentioned. He was a founding member of the Tin Tin Quartet, and contributed on recordings of many famous jazz musicians. In 2002 his album 60/40, in collaboration with Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, was released on BMC Records. In 2006 he founded his trio which is continuosuly active with a changing line-up, often extended to quartet or quintet by guest musicians. In 2009 he released 1978, featuring both the trio and the quintet; the album was voted for the Hungarian Jazz Record of the Year 2010.  Gábor plays regularly with fellow guitarist Bálint Gyémánt; the compositions of the guitar duo were released on the album Budapest in 2011. The 2013 live album, Making a Change, in trio with Péter Szalai and Miklós Lukács, includes among others A Love Supreme, the legendary sacral piece of the late John Coltrane, transcribed for guitar, percussion and cimbalom. In 2014, on commission of the Arcus Temporum festival in Pannonhalma Juhász presented a large composition, inspired by Franz Schubert’s song cycle, Winterreise. Gabor Juhasz was voted by the readers poll of jazzma.hu The Jazz Guitar Player of the Year in 2015. In the Garden, his latest album was released on the Fonó Records label in 2018. juhaszgabor.eu  

The music of the Attila Gyárfás Trio is free and ethereal on one hand, while it surprises with sharp contrasts and reveal longer-term metamorphoses on the other. In their performance, the sincere co-play of the three musicians plays much greater role than the presentation of their individual musical abilities. The compositional elements of their repertoire are often accompanied by improvised passages, connected suite-like to each other, thus creating a bigger unit out of them. The trio was founded in 2013 by the talented drummer and composer, returning recently from the Netherlands, Attila Gyárfás, the highly versatile Artisjus-prize-winning guitarist, Márton Fenyvesi, and the sought-after bass player on the jazz scene in Rome, Marco Zenini. Cloud Factory, their first album was released in March, 2018 on the Sinistra label. attilagyarfas.bandcamp.com 

Details soon! danielvargamusic.tumblr.com 

“Leïla Martial is more than a singer. She is a creator of feelings” Jean-Marc Gélin, JAZZ MAGAZINE Award-winning French singer, Leïla Martial, inhabits a captivating sonic universe, new wave jazz and rock amidst a flurry of vocal madness. She is one of today’s most experienced masters of a rare instrument: a voice of boundless creativity, a source of onomatopoeia which changes and transforms itself to adapt all soundscapes it browses. Whether she screams, blows, belches or delicately accompanies the melody, Leïla Martial is a force to reckon with. Her second album Baabel released on Laborie Jazz, also owes its richness to the talents of her trio, Pierre Tereygeol’s feverish guitar solos, Eric Perez’s changing rhythms into controlled waterfalls. Baabel delivers the most subtle and unexpected twists, switching from an urgent madness to serenity. Coming from a a family of musicians in the south-west of France, Leïla Martial trained at the celebrated Collège jazz of Marciac, a place known worldwide by its famous Jazz in Marciac Festival. She then entered the Conservatoire de Toulouse and several jazz schools, following in the footsteps of her friend Emile Parisien. She hesitated between a career as an actress or a musician, when in 2009 she won the first soloist prize at the Concours de la Défense (for the first time awarded to a singer), and soon after taking France by surprise with the release of Dance Floor, her debut album in 2012. In 2014 her quartet was selected by the AJC Network for the annual Jazz Migration tour. Leïla performs also in Anne Pacéo’s Circles and in FiL, her duo with Valentin Ceccaldi. Inspired by musicians as diverse as Eric Dolphy or Médéric Colignon, and just as moving as Jeanne Lee, Leïla Martial is the equal of her Swiss counterpart Andreas Schaerer, with whom she has performed at the Südtirol Jazz Festival. Among these influences, she also quotes Björk, Magma, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Maria Joao or the singer Camille.

(Greg Lamy is) “A guitar player whose refreshing and pure guitar sound gives birth to multiple melodic climates, underlined by a most fluid style, a musician with a promising future” Lionel Loueke New Orleans native guitarist, Greg Lamy, is a unique commuter: constantly moving between Luxemburg, New Orleans and Paris. After he finished his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he was rapidly noticed while showcasing in clubs in New York and making swift tours around Europe. Greg Lamy often finds himself invited to perform in various bands and has simultaneously created his own quartet with saxophonist Johannes Müller, drummer Jean-Marc Robin and double-bass player Gautier Laurent. The Greg Lamy Quartet is an inspired and challenging formation where the pleasure of performing together and being pluralist at the same time are the decisive elements, creating a unique jazz atmosphere. Since 2006 the quartet has released four albums, the last of them, Press Enter, came out in 2017. More than just an album marked by modernity – as the titles Control Swift, Erase, Exit and Press Enter suggest –, the album’s nine original compositions (plus a bonus track) are first and foremost an invitation to a journey. The album thus seduces with a broad range of sensations, both impressionist and figurative, melancholic and energetic… Lamy’s abundant inspiration is more than ever revealed by a decade-long musical complicity with his fellow musicians. We can’t help but follow the quartet’s call: Press Enter… and enjoy the journey! greglamy.com 

Barlast creates spacious new music with a silence echoing in the background.The silence can be heard between the notes. Everything unnecessary is stripped away.Only the name remains as ballast. From the soothing sound of a telecaster to the calling of the mänkeri, the herder’s instrument, from the rumble of a frame drum to a free double bass solo, the aural visions range from 18th century dances to heavy breathing in hazmat suits. The quartet was noted as one of the highlights in the showcase festival Tallinn Music Week 2017 and has performed in Finland, Estonia and Norway. Their debut album Ihantola, released in 2017 has been described as “a joy, taking the listener on a journey of unexpected peaks and valleys of experimental and exploratory music.” Barlast is releasing their second album in 2019 and the concert in at the Opus Jazz Club is part of the record release tour. barlast.com  The concert has been supported by The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland

Pianist and composer Nitai Hershkovits has been described as a ‘Genuine prodigy’ by BBC music. ‘Reminiscent of a silky-toned old piano swinger such as the late Hank Jones’ (The Guardian), intertwining bliss and melancholy with skillful freedom. As a solo artist, Nitai Hershkovits’ repertoire consists mainly of original work written for piano, giving space for interpretation. Since a young age, Nitai had the privilege of touring all over the world and performing at many different venues: Village Vanguard, Salle Pleyel, Vienna Konzerthaus, l’Olympia, Alter Oper, North Sea Jazz Festival, Antibes Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, Montreux Jazz Festival, Barbican Center and Tonhalle, to name a few. In 2011 Nitai joined bassist Avishai Cohen’s group (known for his long time collaboration with Chick Corea as well as for his successful band leading career). As part of Cohen’s Trio as well as of other symphonic projects, they recorded 3 albums together: A Duet - Duende (EMI/Blue Note), A chamber music project Almah (EMI/Parlaphone) and a Trio album -From Darkness (Razdaz Records). In 2016 Nitai had relocated to NY and is keeping a busy schedule, touring and recording with notable artists such as: Malmo Symphonic Orchestra, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kendrick Scott, Mike Moreno, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Robert Sadin, Theo Bleckmann, Matt Penman, Mark Turner, Marcus Gilmore, Ben Monder, Jorge Rossy, Mndsgn (Ringgo) among many others. Nitai's latest album, New Place Always is a collection of melodies that have resonated through time, long enough to evoke a sense of folkloric familiarity. After collaborating for his debut album, Nitai Hershkovits and Rejoicer take the art of Piano Solo to a new level; Eight of the tunes were written together in the studio — “I had all kinds of ideas but I wanted the music to fit the piano and the room in the studio so I wrote most of them there. The process was simple - we kept switching sides, left and right hands, each one brings his colour to a new tune”, says Nitai. Like in classical music, the rest of the tunes are through-composed, leaving space for interpretation and real-time composition as well as gathering musical ideas from Nitai’s African roots, using Western harmonies to create a new, fresh palette of sounds.