The Norwegian saxophonist has been one of the most influential European jazz artists, who chose to disengage himself from the American roots of the genre and developed a distinctive compositional and performing style of his own, drawing on sources as diverse as medieval Gregorian chant, folk melodies and the music of the East. Jan Garbarek’s concerts have an inimitable, dense atmosphere, and his stage presence is free of frills and unnecessary embellishments – something Hungarian audiences are not unfamiliar with. ‘Garbarek exuded quiet confidence and focused gravitas,’ wrote a reviewer of one of his London concerts, ‘and he went quietly and seriously about his business for over two hours, not uttering a single word from the stage, but simply allowing his uniquely persuasive music to speak eloquently for him. ’ He and his group convey a certain permanence, a calm, and conjure up the atmosphere of a world where they do things differently. He comes to Budapest with one of his favourite musicians, Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, whom The Guardian called ‘an open-minded musician who embraces jazz, Indian classical music, abstract improvisation and Asian pop, a dazzling percussion virtuoso, an accessible entertainer.’

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