I was invited as a researcher to the prestigious JEN (Jazz Education Network) conference, which took place this year in Atlanta, Georgia, from 8 to 12 January. My paper was entitled: „The Hungarian Taste of Jazz Stands at the Crossroads of Folksongs, Bartók and Balkan Rhythm with American Style”. I was accompanied by my husband, Tibor Csuhaj Barna, as a co-presenter. Our project was made possible by the support of Fulbright Hungary.

- hirdetés -

In my topic I tried to present the side of Hungarian jazz that was influenced not only by Hungarian folk music, but also by the folk music of neighbouring countries, and through this by the musical world of Bartók.

The preparation for the performance was in fact a very extensive research; in addition to collecting and studying musical and written material, I thought it was important to interview musicians who were the most dedicated representatives of this movement.

I would like to mention Mihály Dresch (saxophone), Miklós Lukács (cimbalom), Kálmán Oláh (piano), Mihály Borbély (saxophone), Károly Binder (piano), Dániel Szabó (piano), Elemér Balázs (percussion), József Balázs (piano) and György Baló (percussion), Júlia Karosi (vocals), Klára Hajdú (vocals). The journalist Gábor Turi and the jazz guitarist András Párniczky were very helpful in my work on jazz history and theory.

The interviews were very interesting and enjoyable work, and I got a lot out of these personal conversations, which were very honest and deep revelations of musical beliefs. They practically gave the main direction of the research in terms of music, history and ideology, i.e. the inner motivations of the performers.

I would like to quote Miklós Lukács, who formulated the main question as follows:

„What makes our jazz taste Hungarian? Perhaps it is because our folk music has contributed to the domestic character of the genre. This is not far from the way African-American folk music has influenced the genre”.

On the basis of these considerations, I have unravelled the history, musical development and diversity of „Hungarian Taste” jazz. For example, the pedagogical work of Kodály and Bartók, the undeniable role of café gypsy music in the spread of jazz, the musical-ideological influence of György Szabados, the role of folk instruments in this style and many other factors were included in my research.

I felt it was important to highlight American jazz musicians who were greatly influenced by Béla Bartók, as well as Hungarian jazz musicians and composers who had great careers in America.

As I was commissioned to give a poster presentation, the biggest challenge was how to visualise all my research material on a large A0 sheet. The work of Kincső Csuhaj Barna, a graphic designer, was a great help.

The conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, which is not only a beautiful four-star hotel, but also a huge conference centre with concert halls and many auditoriums. It’s hard to estimate how many people attended or participated in the conference festival, but I can’t be far off a thousand or more. Among them were young people, schoolchildren and even professional, world-famous artists who have already brought a lot to the table.

The programme, which ran from 9 a.m. to late at night for four days, was also very varied, with a choice of lectures, concerts and workshops for the public and conference participants. In one of the hotel’s large halls, almost every American jazz education institution had a stand, and instrument manufacturers and music publishers were also well represented.

One of the great benefits of this event was the opportunity to network with professionals and performers. I was able to meet several jazz artists and teachers I had only heard of, such as Judy Niemack (Hochschule für Musik „Hanns Eisler” Berlin), David Scott (Berklee College of Music), Dena DeRose (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Austria).

On the last day of the conference, the Hungarian poster presentation was also well attended and we tried to answer many questions to our satisfaction. I feel that we – for the first time from Hungary – succeeded in arousing interest in Hungarian folk music and Bartók-inspired jazz and their characteristics.

I hope that this presentation will be the opening chord of a very fruitful and forward-looking collaboration in the field of Hungarian jazz education and its cultivation. Dr. Lou Fischer, one of the founders of the organisation, and pianist Monica Herzig (Jam Music Lab, Vienna, Austria), the main organiser of the poster presentations, said that they were happy to receive the Hungarian application because they felt that the JEN conference should also be open to European jazz.

The author is Ágnes Lakatos DLA, Associate Professor at the Jazz Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest.