XChange Programme: Krisztian Olah

It is with great pleasure that we welcome to the Club this evening as part of our exchange programme with the Budapest Jazz Club the multi-Award winning young Hungarian pianist Krisztian Oláh. Son of the internationally acclaimed pianist Kálmán Oláh, Krisztian is an alumnus of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and in his short career to date has already managed to pick up 6 different Awards in 5 different countries! He was 17 years old when he won the solo piano competition at the Târgu Mures International Jazz Festival in Romania and his outstanding abilities were noticed by the jury of the Creative Art Awards, granting him a special prize in 2011. He followed that with success at similar competitions in the UK, Latvia and Holland and was only 20 when he came third in the solo piano competition at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. Krisztian's repertoire of jazz standards, bebop, re-interpretations of classical music and originals along with an impressive technique and passionate playing have rapidly established him as a leading figure on the Hungarian jazz scene, winning him yet another award, Young Jazz Musician Of The Year, in 2016. You get the idea, he's very, very good. Joining Krisztian tonight will be his special guest, another multi-award winning musician, the UK saxophonist and 606 regular Paul Booth, who includes work with the likes of Steve Winwood, Geoff Keezer, Eddie Henderson, Larry Coryell, Dave Liebman and Stan Tracey and who has been described as having "…a deep understanding of the musical roots of jazz, interpreting ballads with enormous skill and sensitivity, and improvising fluently and inventively" (All Music). The UK rhythm section of Calum Gourlay-bass and Chris Higginbottom-drums will complete this superb quartet.