"Musician's Xchange" - Kornél Fekete Kovacs

The multi-Award winning musician Kornél Fekete-Kovács is widely regard as one of Hungary's finest jazz trumpeters. The one time leader of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra (BJO) he is currently the head of the Modern Art Orchestra and includes work with the likes of Dave Liebman, Johnny Griffin, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Marilyn Mazur and Butch Lacy on an impressive CV. His fluent and creative playing has been heard not only in Hungary but on the international jazz scene with the likes of the IASJ Big Band Copenhagen, the European Broadcasting Union Big Band, the Brand International Music Workshop Orchestra, Denmark, the UMO Jazz Orchestra Finland, the Central European Jazz Connection and the Finn-Hungarian Jazz Workshop. However, as well as being a terrific soloist Kornél is also a prolific and imaginative composer. He wrote the “Budapest Jazz Suite” for the Budapest Jazz Orchestra which was subsequently performed in Helsinki by the UMO Jazz Orchestra and his second ambitious composition for big band, "The Wayfarer", was premiered by the European Broadcasting Union Jazz Orchestra in Budapest featuring US saxophonist Dave Liebman. Awards he has received over the years include 1993 Jazz Juniors Competition, Krakow for Best Group and Best Solo, the 2000 and 2002 Artisjus Musical Foundation’s award, 2002 eMeRTon prize as Composer of the Year, 2009 Ferenc Liszt prize and 2010 Orszáczky prize for outstanding Composition. You get the idea, he's good! Tonight Kornél will be performing with the outstanding UK rhythm section of Gareth Williams-piano, Steve Watts-bass and Martin France-drums.

"...standout Kornél Fekete-Kovács trumpeter. In the last decade Hungarian jazz has quickly matured, and this recording is a clear proof." AllAboutJazz

Presented in association with Harmonia Muhely Alapitvany, the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London and the Nemzeti Kulturalis Alap.