Kalman Olah Sextet


In 1994, inviting leading Hungarian jazz musicians, who have all become seasoned leaders in the meantime, brilliant Hungarian pianist, Kálmán Oláh founded the Kálmán Oláh Sextet. Next year they scored a great success at Marciac Jazz Festival in France. While the Sextet mainly played mainstream jazz in its early years, it soon developed its unique style of modern jazz based on the contemporary classical music of the 20th century, especially the rich tonality and polymodal chromatics of Bartók. Unlike Trio Midnight's free and genuinely improvised jazz, that of probably the best known of all the bands Oláh fronts, the music of the Oláh Sextet is well-structured of various parts and is built on elaborate classical-tinged compositions that are topped with improvisation - all resulting in a perfectly modern tonality. The influence of Bartók can be well demonstrated in the song "Polymodal Blues", which was released on the Sextet's 1995 album "Night Silence"; this influence became an important element of Kálmán's current compositions and improvised style. Recently the sextet has put together a new repertoire, adjusting to the more complex orchestrations, and preparing the material for a new CD.

members:
Kálmán Oláh - piano
Kristof Bacso - alto and soprano saxophones
Mihaly Borbely - tenor and soprano saxophone, clarinet, tárogató
Ferenc Schreck - trombone
Matyas Szandai - bass
Elemer Balazs - drums

technical rider

links:
www.myspace.com/kalmanolahsextet
www.kristofbacso.com
www.mihalyborbely.hu
www.balazselemergroup.hu
Matyas Szandai
Ferenc Schreck

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