Since finishing his studies at the jazz faculty of the Bartók Béla Conservatory, Hungarian jazz guitarist and composer Attila László is member as well as leader of numerous outstanding Hungarian jazz outfits. He formed his first jazz group, Kaszakő, in 1975, followed up to now by groups as Things (with saxophonist Tony Lakatos), Attila László Band., Attila László Quintet, or the present formation, the Attila László – Kálmán Oláh Quartet. The list of his awards and prizes is countless. Since 1987 he teaches at the Jazz Department of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy and currently is also the leader of its big band. In the course of his career he has worked with renowned jazz musicians like Randy Brecker, Anthony Jackson, James Moody, Tommy Campbell, David Friedman, Gary Willis, Hiram Bullock, Billy Cobham, Miroslav Vitous, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Ilaiya Raaja, Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante or Patti Austin.

Kálmán Oláh, recognized with the Liszt Prize and Szabó Gábor Lifetime Achievement Award, has for years been passionately looking for new forms of music expression. Not only as a performer, but also as a composer, he is a leading artist of jazz, who has received among others the major prize of the Thelonious Monk Jazz Composers Competition in 2006, for his composition Always.

In his trio the pianist is backed by two of his long-time fellow musicians, Elemér Balázs and József Barcza Horváth. The sophisticated play and amazing consistency of the threesome are the guarantee for modern, exciting compositions and inspiring improvisations. For this special concert, saxophonist Kálmán Oláh Jr. joins them rounding up the group to a quartet.

The members of the Attila László – Kálmán Oláh Quartet are all well-known musicians of the Hungarian jazz scene who have played together in countless formations. Attila László and Béla Lattmann have already a nearly four decades history of common work, but Kálmán Oláh and Elemér Balázs are also play together since decades in their legendary Trio Midnight, to name just two examples. The present quartet’s concerts reveal how strongly inspiring can be each member’s playing for the others. The audience can feel on their skin the exciting and sparkling musical interaction – the essence of this composed and modern creative music. As a soloist, each of them add their original flavours of sound, creating together a swirling and vibrant music. In the program of their present concert they perform original compositions by Attila László and Kálmán Oláh.

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