Though still underrated by the media at large, saxophonist TONY LAKATOS has progressed to become one of the most popular protagonists on his instrument, acclaimed by jazz fans in Europa, and especially in the USA. His own production work with Randy Brecker, Billy Hart, Trilok Gurtu, Joanne Brackeen, Adam Nussbaum, George Mraz, Al Foster, Jimmy Scott supplies ample testimony of his craft, backed up by guest appearances on albums from a.o Wolfgang Haffner and Masha Bijlsma.
On his latest production, this native Hungarian now residing in Frankfurt, Germany has turned his ear to Gypsy culture, back to the roots. Together with pianist Szakcsi Bela Lakatos, meanwhile a fixture wherever Jack De Johnette appears, he has designed an up-to-date reflection of both jazz and Gypsy influences. The simple fact that these musicians have found styles of their own over the years precludes any direct association with that grand seigneur of Gypsy Jazz, Django Reinhardt, nor is the listener being handed yet another version of someone's idea of World Music.
All of the musicians involved on this effort come from Hungarian Gypsy families with long traditions in the field, though their attention has been decidedly devoted to jazz improvisational work. For Tony and Szakcsi , the source of inspiration was to combine these two worlds that don't really lie all that far apart, and yet retain each one's special ambience. For example, the evolution of Gypsy culture from its origins in India to the East and West European present is taken up on the plaintive “Crying Way From India”, a piece kept in a lyrical style well reminiscent of the classic melodic craft known from Hungarian Gypsies.
Tony Lakatos - Gypsy colours at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival 2010
Gypsy Colours
ReplyDelete