Spices from the jazz kitchen

2010. September 08.

The Monday Night Jazz series is continuing at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA). MÜPA doesn’t just track the movements of the Hungarian jazz scene, it leads with its creative concert programs. Together with its series called Monday Night Jazz – a longtime staple - MÜPA introduces the genre’s Hungarian stars as well as the non-conformist young rebels, covering the broadest spectrum possible. Programming after the summer holidays includes a unique concert of two drummers, the debut of a singer’s new album, as well as a brand new show of a Hungarian jazz veteran.

The series of Monday jazz concerts will be opened by Gergő Borlai at the Festival Theatre on September 27th. At the Divided Concert new compositions written especially for this occasion will be heard. Borlai, known as a creative musician, does not recognise any genre-related boundaries; he relishes the chance to try his craft in the most diverse musical styles. Evidence of this approach is the diverse musical form of expression of the performers, as Árpád Tzumo, Mihály Dresch and Tibor Tátrai will also perform at the concert. The interpretation of the foreign musicians - the Vietnamese-French guitarist Nguyên Lê, the French bass guitarist Hadrien Feraud, and the British percussionist Pete Lockett – also offers similarly avant-garde solutions. The Andrea Ladányi ballet is expected to be a highlight of the event.

On October 18th the Fusio Group debuts its new record. The band of the drummer Péter Szendőfi is nowadays considered a renowned formation of Hungarian jazz artists: the group was established in 1992. They take their cue from American patterns of modern electronic jazz, playing music of overwhelming momentum based on snappy grooves. Its general direction has not changed over recent years; Fusio has matured to become one of the renowned and successful bands of the region. Of course, it also contributed to their success that Szendőfi could learn directly from the masters of this genre over the course of his scholarship in New York: he has learnt the tricks of the trade from none other than Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers and Jojo Mayer.

On 8th November a young and increasingly popular singer, Juli Fábián will appear on stage with her own band, the Jazz Riff. Péter Pallai, a writer of the musical magazine Gramofon, highlighted the brilliant improvisational technique of the artist, the wittiness of the compositions and the “sultriness” of her voice when describing the new record of Juli Fábián, entitled Honey and Chili. The repertoire of the band is characterized by melodic tunes, tight grooves, an innovative rhythm section and lyric intonation. The members of the group are multi-talented musicians who have performed in many genres and successfully demonstrated their comprehensive skill.

On December 13th, as the conclusion of the Monday Night Jazz series of 2010, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos is performing his latest compositions within the framework of a production entitled Mirrors. On his Composer’s Night he shall reveal to the audience the musical influences which defined the direction his career had taken over past decades, intending to give a full accounting of this period. The search for a road which reveals a hodge-podge of contemporary jazz, the roots of gipsy folk music and the traditions of Hungarian folk music will be heard. At the concert, a band formed for this very occasion, with Mihály Dresch, Mátyás Szandai and Elemér Balázs, will play under the direction of the composer.

08.09.2010.