József Balázs – piano Áron Koós-Hutás – trumpet Zoltán Zana – saxophone György Orbán – double bass Elemér Balázs – drums “Real mellow mainstream.” (Péter Pallai, Gramofon)
József Balázs, though trained classically and having graduated at the Liszt Academy of Music's Jazz Department, was jazz-oriented from the beginning of his studies. Formerly prize-winner pianist with his own trio, he had his CD debut appearance on My New Way, the album of his elder brother’s group Elemér Balázs Quintet. Since its formation he is the driving force of Elemér Balázs Group besides his brother, contributing both in composition and arrangements on all albums of the group. Simultaneously he is member of the László Dés Septet since 2003. He has played with several outstanding musicians, like Randy Brecker, Erik Truffaz, Charlie Mariano, Pat Metheny, Robin Eubanks, Stéphane Belmondo, Bobby Watson or Steve Houben. His own group, József Balázs Quintet was formed in 2005, and became since a significant representative of the melodic, modern cool in Hungary. The leader won the Dezső Lakatos Ablakos scholarship for performing artists in 2007. Besides his activities in jazz he is also a well-known arranger and composer in such genres as pop or film music. At the time of his quintet’s debut album Kálmán Oláh wrote about him: “May he improvise in any genre, you can always feel that he talks and uses the mother tongue of jazz with excellent taste.”
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