Live Jazz in Budapest

Wed, Jul 1, 8:30 PM

Legacy of Native Sense

Budapest Jazz Club / Ujlipotvaros / Map

Legacy of Native Sense is a duo project created by vibraphonist Mátyás Szigeti and pianist Szabolcs Horváth, paying tribute to one of jazz’s most celebrated musical partnerships, that of Chick Corea and Gary Burton. The ensemble takes its name from the duo’s acclaimed 1997 album Native Sense, widely regarded as a landmark recording in the modern chamber jazz tradition. The repertoire focuses on compositions featured on Native Sense, with the musicians striving to capture the album’s distinctive musical spirit and sound world as authentically as possible. Through the rich tonal palette of the vibraphone and piano, a strong sense of chamber music interplay, and the freedom of improvisation, the duo offers both a tribute to the artistic legacy of Chick Corea and Gary Burton and an exploration of one of the most compelling traditions in modern jazz. Mátyás Szigeti – vibrafon, Szabolcs Horváth – piano

Thu, Jul 2, 8:00 PM

Dezső Oláh Trio: Intermezzo (HU)

Opus Jazz Club / Ferencvaros / Map

“Have you ever felt that our life is just an intermezzo? We spend most of our time trying to achieve our goals and desires but on the way towards the destination, there are several stations. These stations are connected by intermezzos before we know how, when, why and with whom we will travel on. Can it be the time when we truly live? While standing at the crossroads, we have a chance to contemplate. To live the very moment. The end of the day always includes the possibility of the following day – just like Tuesday is hidden in Monday, then Wednesday in Tuesday… How to go on? The only thing we know is that there will never be two Wednesdays which are the same. Problems change but the journey doesn’t: forward! We just try to lead Monday into Tuesday, and so on…”, says Dezső Oláh about his trio programme Intermezzo.

Artisjus Award-winning violinist Frankie Látó founded his new quartet in 2023, bringing together the traditions of jazz-rock and fusion jazz with the freedom of contemporary improvisation. The ensemble’s repertoire is built primarily around original compositions, drawing significant inspiration from Miles Davis’s electric period as well as the musical legacy of Joe Zawinul and Weather Report. The quartet’s sound evokes the spirit of the seminal American and European jazz-rock groups of the 1970s, while reinterpreting the genre through a contemporary perspective and a fresh artistic approach. Virtuosity, musical interaction, and improvisation play equally important roles in their performances, while the compositions themselves form a cohesive and distinctive musical identity. One of the ensemble’s defining characteristics is its placement of the violin at the center of a musical landscape where the instrument is rarely featured as a lead voice. Frankie Látó’s artistic development was profoundly influenced by his mentor, the legendary French jazz violinist Didier Lockwood, whose musica

Sat, Jul 4, 8:00 PM

Károly Gáspár Trio (HU)

Opus Jazz Club / Ferencvaros / Map

Pianist and composer Károly Gáspár, who is celebrating his 50th birthday this year, is one of the best-known artists on the Hungarian jazz scene. To date, he has released six highly successful albums either with his trio or as a solo artist (The Outsider; Salvation; Philosophy; Tribute to Giants; Centuries Suite; Peace – Time), which mainly feature his own compositions alongside some jazz standards. Gáspár will now draw from his latest album, Peace – Time, while also performing unique arrangements of well-known jazz classics. Released in 2025, Peace – Time tastefully blends the stylistic elements and moods of classical music, jazz standards, and sophisticated pop songs under the theme of peace – both in the literal sense and as an inner state of mind –, also incorporating motifs from various folk music traditions. The album’s overall tone suggests a positive vision of the future, offering listeners a glimmer of hope even in difficult times.

Áron Tálas and Ádám Klausz’s unconventional keyboard–drums duo masterfully blends the pulsating grooves of modern hip-hop, funk, and drum’n’bass with the harmonic and melodic world of jazz. The project was born out of the idea of street performing, with the hidden intention of bringing this kind of music to people who might otherwise never encounter it. Pianist-drummer Áron Tálas has shown in numerous other projects — including Borbély Workshop and his own trio — that professional mastery and cheeky humor don’t cancel each other out, but rather enhance the creative process. Meanwhile, Ádám Klausz has proven his versatility and openness as the drummer of acts like Co Lee and the Nagy Emma Quintet. Áron Tálas – keys, Ádám Klausz – drum

BMC commemorates Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, who passed away in 2022, with a concert each year. He maintained a two-decade working relationship with BMC, enriching the catalogue of BMC Records with a total of 10 albums, covering a wide variety of musical styles. In keeping with the diversity of his career, different musicians and formations will perform at the commemorative concerts, including those who have played with Szakcsi for many years, as well as who have had little or no opportunity to accompany him on his musical adventures, but they all share a common spirit of creation that is close to the artistic world of the legendary jazz pianist. This concert will be a freely improvised encounter between four generations and four distinct musical perspectives, as each musician represents a different style from the broad and colorful spectrum of jazz. Béla Szakcsi Lakatos had planned to give a concert with this same lineup before the pandemic, but it had to be postponed due to lockdowns – and this upcoming reschedule will also serve as a fitting tribute.

The group started working professionally in 1990, and has been recognised from the beginning by audience and critics alike as one of the best young European mainstream jazz trio. Kálmán Oláh – piano, János Egri – bass, Elemér Balázs – drums

Migrantes is a musical project by pianist, composer, and producer Andrea Manzoni and oud player and composer Mauro Sigura exploring migration as a universal experience of transformation, encounter, and memory. Through a sonic language that crosses cultures and traditions, the project weaves together Mediterranean influences, jazz improvisation, and contemporary research, offering an artistic reflection on the cultural and human dynamics of our time. Since its creation, the project has developed a significant international trajectory, with concerts and presentations in various European and international contexts, evolving as a space for dialogue between different musical identities. The album, released in 2025, represents the synthesis of this artistic research, bringing together original compositions that explore the themes of journey and intercultural exchange.