Kovász

On Saturday, 14 September 2024, a one-day programme series, the Celebration of Hungarian Jazz, pays tribute to the genre with free open-air concerts, a book presentation, an awards ceremony and – with a combined ticket – some evening concerts, in this joint production from the Hungarian Jazz Federation and House of Music Hungary. The Open-Air Stage will host the Nart Orchestra, the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band and Kovász, with Gábor T. Szántó presenting his book on the pianist János Gonda in the Lecture Hall, where the Hungarian Jazz Federation’s awards ceremony will also take place prior to the evening concerts. The Róbert Szakcsi Lakatos Trio will perform at 8 pm in the Concert Hall, while Tzumo Gypsy Dreams will close out the programme at 9.30 pm.

Kovász
After collaborating in numerous free, pop and especially world music groups, with Kovász (‘Sour Dough’), Gergő Kováts saw the time was ripe to begin a journey of discovery with his bandmates among the endless fields of folk music and jazz. When preparing for their ‘audio-gastronomical’ expedition, the assembled team added some hard bop and free jazz to the batter, and as the fermentation process has taken hold, they have been feeding the concoction with laments, fast turning dances and slow ‘Hungarian-style’ ones. And of course a bit of hip-hop and funk has wafted in with the air as well. Using this now fully mature base, they have thrown some classic recipes ranging from John Coltrane to Elek Horváth and Hank Mobley back in the oven, serving the final product at the very hottest possible temperature. Each and every one of his fellow bakers in this disorienting adventure is an outstanding master of their trade, with Máté Pozsár and Attila Gyárfás recognised jazz authorities who are ubiquitous and key figures of its freer styles and, not incidentally, professors at the Liszt Academy. Despite his young age, Ábel Dénes lives a life of routinely crossing genres, having enjoyed major success with the Nagy Emma Quintet and Söndörgő, among other line-ups.

A joint production from the House of Music Hungary and the Hungarian Jazz Federation.