Bendegúz Varga’s new album, No Excuses (coming in the spring of 2026), takes the form of a concept album: the bandleader has selected some iconic, some perhaps lesser-known, yet deeply cherished songs from the Seattle grunge-rock movement that flourished in the early 1990s, reworking them with his band in the style of modern mainstream jazz. Despite the fact that these are rock covers rather than original compositions, they have managed to truly make the material their own, especially thanks to the arrangements and improvisations. The new album features not only instrumental but also vocal songs – to interpret the melodies made famous by male rock singers, Bendegúz invited Kriszta Koncz, winner of the 2024 Müpa Jazz Showcase Audience Award, who lends a whole new meaning to the songs with her deep, emotionally charged voice.