Szakcsi Lakatos Bela Quintet: Jazz Festival - 2022

Szakcsi Lakatos Bela helped Hungarian jazz become modern without losing its local character. The present recording vividly illustrates this achievement. Captured at the 2022 AVL Érd Jazz Festival, it holds particular significance as the final festival recording of his career. That the audio had to be recovered from a damaged hard drive adds an extra dimension to the listening experience, transforming the album into both an artistic document and a memorial. Szakcsi's importance also rests on his stylistic openness.

Throughout his life, Lakatos moved naturally between jazz, classical music, contemporary improvisation, folk material, and theatrical forms such as musicals and ballet. He helped transform Roma folklore into stage works and contributed to what has been described as "gypsy jazz," widening the expressive territory of Hungarian jazz beyond standard club or concert formats. His artistry became intertwined with the development and maturation of Hungarian jazz itself. By demonstrating that Hungarian jazz could be both idiomatic and original, he helped give it greater visibility on the international stage.

If one had to sum up his importance, it is that Szakcsi Lakatos helped Hungarian jazz become modern without losing its local character. A key driver in the rise of fusion jazz in Hungary, he connected Hungarian jazz to contemporary electric and progressive idioms while maintaining a strong improvisational identity. In this sense, he was not merely following international trends; he was localising them and giving them a distinctly Hungarian voice. The festival performance showcases free, conversational quartet playing, focused on the language and style of Szakcsi's final years. The music combines Hungarian-inflected rubato feeling, harmonic risk-taking, and lyrical concision. As a live festival recording, immediacy and interaction among the musicians are central to its power; the album's force derives from the presence, spontaneity, and final offerings of an artist's life.

The opening of "Love Supreme" is atmospheric. Although recorded before the current centennial celebrations, it stands as a fitting tribute to John Coltrane's iconic piece. The treatment differs markedly from Coltrane's original in that it lacks spiritual overtones. After an initial chantlike passage, a fluid rhythm takes over, with Gábor Juhász 's guitar prominent against the keyboard. Juhász employs a clear improvisatory style that stays close to the central theme while skilfully exploring its modal byways. György Orbán 's bass displays melodic power and resonance, injecting precise swing. A keyboard interlude introduces an idiosyncratic view of the piece, while Imre Köszegi's drums play an important but nondominant role throughout. The keyboard playing has a lyrical, poetic quality that emphasises rhythmic elements and the music's quiet passion.

The Joe Zawinul piece unfolds over relentless figures in bass and keyboards. The guitar's power is centre stage, with Zawinul's theme present. The rhythm is maintained cleverly without becoming monotonous. Subthemes from Szakcsi Lakatos on keyboard grow increasingly interesting as the improvisation builds powerfully and passionately. Orbán's bass, as throughout the album, is potent and grounding. The overall arrangement propels the group dynamically forward; the successful blending of instruments is a tribute to Szakcsi Lakatos's nuanced arranging. The long introduction to "Solar" expands the Miles Davis theme over an effective rhythmic foundation from Köszegi's drums. The trumpet has a slightly cloudy tone as it explores the nuances of the theme; Kornel Fekete Kovács}}'s exploratory playing over the theme is intriguing to follow. Taken as a whole, the album is an interesting and compelling addition to the final work of Béla Szakcsi Lakatos.