This is the Album of the Week:
Discovery
Marton Juhasz
Discovery
I choose this title not so much because it reflects the music – it’s a reflection on my process of finding some kind of personal compositional voice and being comfortable with exposing it to the world.
Sea of Uncertainty – This was to represent the chaos/self doubt/uncertainty that is inherent to the creative process and living as a freelance artist in general.
The Curve – This was inspired by the idea that there are a number of exponential processes that are underway globally (climate change, debt, overpopulation, habitat loss, environmental destruction etc.) and we are about to hit the steep slope – curve – of these graphs. Also, I like the idea that if you ascend high enough from the Earth you begin to see the planet’s curve.
Little Prayer – This one is an attempt to acknowledge the mystical even during the mundane/frustrating times – like waiting in traffic jam.
Levian – was inspired by a dream I had where I was underwater and in contact with a very alien looking and seemingly fully conscious whalefish.
Industry – is a juxtaposition of a native way of living (the choir) and industrial-economic processes (bass lines) that eventually poison the habitat.
Stino – I wrote this one for a friend – a fantastic jazz guitarist who one day decided to make contemporary hip hop albums instead.
Wolves Gather Around a Winter Moon – subtitle for this song is “Angels Pass By”. I wanted to write something to contrast a dark, primal, animalistic scene with a flyby of a group of angels – effortlessly dividing and shining over the darkness.
Strange Glow – This is trying to capture the eerie feeling of going home on empty streets late at night on a late Autumn evening. I’m always struck by how ominous everything looks under street lightning.
Run – subtitle is “away” – This song is about running away from harm – no destination, just run until you collapse from exhaustion and then lay there on the ground because you just can’t move anymore.
Marton Juhasz’s career began in 2005 when he won national first prize for solo percussion in Hungary. In 2006 he studied at Drumtech, London where he was awarded prize for top overall student. In 2007 he was accepted to Berklee College of Music, Boston and graduated summa cum laude in 2011. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Foundation for Hungarian Percussion Culture’s yearly award. After returning from the United States in 2012 Marton has been active in Europe and has had the opportunity to work with musicians such as Lionel Loueke, Gilad Hekselman, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Byron Wallen, Peter King, Bela Szakcsi Lakatos, Szymon Mika, Robert Szakcsi Lakatos, Kenji Herbert, Olga Konkova, Matyas Gayer, Kristof Bacso, Viktor Toth, Stefan Gottfried, Daniel Szabo, Marton Fenyvesi, Nikoletta Szoke, Jozsef Barcza Horvath, Matyas Szandai, Ondrej Stveracek, Mike Gotthard, Aron Talas, Rob Luft, Gabor Bolla, Cesar Joaniquet, Janos Aved, Alan Benzie, Arpad Tzumo and Rozina Patkai. In 2014 and 2015 Marton was voted ‘Drummer of the Year’ on the JazzMa online readers’ poll.
In 2017 ‘Pannon Blue’ featuring Lionel Loueke won ‘Best Hungarian Jazz Album’ in the Gramofon Awards. In 2017 Marton became the first person to hold the drum chair of the prestigious Focusyear Ensemble directed by Wolfgang Muthspiel. During the one year program the band received intensive coaching from some of the most respected names in contemporary jazz: Guillermo Klein, Jeff Ballard, Django Bates, Theo Bleckmann, Avishai Cohen, Larry Grenadier, Dave Holland, Lionel Loueke, Adrian Mears, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gwilym Simcock, Becca Stevens, Steve Swallow & Mark Turner. In 2018 the Alan Benzie Trio’s second album ‘Little Mysteries’ won the ‘Best Album’ prize at the Scottish Jazz Awards. Starting in 2019 Marton will perform with Christian Muthspiel’s Orjazztra Project. Highlight performances of recent years include:
London Jazz Festival – with the Alan Benzie Trio (2018)
Vienna Jazz Festival – with the Focusyear Band (2018)
Porgy & Bess, Vienna – with the Kristof Bacso Triad feat. Gilad Hekselman (2018)
Die Unterfahrt, München – as part the Alan Benzie Trio Album Release Tour (2018)
Volkshaus Basel – with the Focusyear Band feat. Wolfgang Muthspiel (2017)
The Jazz Dock, Prague – with the Matyas Gayer Trio feat. Ondrej Stveracek (2016)
Opus Jazz Club, Budapest – with the Kristof Bacso Triad feat. Lionel Loueke – Live CD Recording (2015)
Jazzycolors Festival, Paris – as leader (2015)
Club 606, London – with Peter King (2011), with Gareth Williams & Yuri Golubev (2015)
Saransk Jazz Festival – with the Kristof Bacso Quartet feat. Kornel Fekete Kovács (2014)
Palace of Arts, Budapest – with Mark Nightingale & Budapest Jazz Orchestra (2014)
The Standard, Copenhagen – with Benjamin Koppel (2014)
Mosaic Jazz Festival, Sibiu – with Nikoletta Szőke, Robert Lakatos & Jozsef Barcza Horvath (2014)
B-flat, Berlin – with Viktor Toth (2013)
Hungarian National Radio, Budapest – with Sandor Lakatos ‘Soso’ (2010)
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