- Laszlo Gardony
Laszlo Gardony is a jazz pianist / composer born in
Hungary who has released eight albums and led his own trio. From1987 onward he has been on the faculty of theBerklee College of Music , from which he also graduated. That stated, his first degree was from theBéla Bartók Conservatory in1979 . He has lived in theUnited States since 1983.Pianist and composer Laszlo Gardony has been recognized worldwide for his extraordinary musicianship. He has released eight albums as a leader, has toured in 23 countries, won numerous awards, and appeared on television and radio programs throughout the world. He has performed with
Dave Liebman ,John Abercrombie ,David “Fathead” Newman ,Freddie Hubbard ,John Blake, Jr. ,Joe Lovano ,Randy Brecker , and many others.In 1987, Laszlo won First Prize at The Great American Jazz Piano Competition.
JazzTimes has called him "one of contemporary music's truly original voices."AllAboutJazz observes that “while [Laszlo’s] music is firmly rooted in the jazz and gospel tradition, it introduces new avenues of artistic expression.” On his earlier recordings, Laszlo collaborated withDave Holland ,Miroslav Vitous , Bob Moses,Mick Goodrick , andJamey Haddad , among others. His new CD, Dig Deep (Sunnyside) features Laszlo’s trio of seven years –John Lockwood on bass andYoron Israel on drums. Dig Deep is Laszlo’s fifth recording on the Sunnyside label. He has also released albums on the Antilles / Island and Avenue Jazz/Rhino/BMG labels.Besides being an exceptionally successful band leader, Laszlo is also a sought after sideman. Other artists who featured him on their recordings include guitarist
Garrison Fewell , guitaristSteven Kirby ,The Wayfaring Strangers , and singerShelley Neill . Laszlo has been living inBoston for the past twenty years, where he is a Professor of Piano at the Berklee College of Music.Born in Hungary, Laszlo was improvising on the piano by the time he was five, showing an early talent for composing music. When, at seven, he began piano lessons, he continued to develop his own musical language. The various idioms of music he heard and enjoyed — rock,
blues , and classical — fused together naturally in his improvisations. In his late teens he discovered and immersed himself in the music ofMiles Davis ,Bill Evans ,Dave Brubeck andJohn Coltrane . In 1976, Laszlo entered the Bela Bartok Conservatory where he studied African music and jazz along with Eastern European and 20th century classical composers. During this time also attended the Science University of Budapest. He graduated from both schools in 1979.After leaving the Conservatory, Laszlo went on to become a successful session player in Europe, toured extensively and recorded eight albums. In 1983 he left for Boston, where he received a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Laszlo graduated from Berklee in 1985, and joined the faculty two years later. In 1986 he teamed up with bassist
Miroslav Vitous and drummerIan Froman and after a year of performing together, they recorded Laszlo’s original compositions. This recording landed Laszlo his first major label recording contract with the Antilles / Island label, which released this exact recording, The Secret, in 1988. The album was widely heralded for its originality and sensitivity. In 1989, he released The Legend of Tsumi, also on Antilles. His first Sunnyside CD, Changing Standards, debuted in 1990. He also recorded another project entitled Breakout in 1994 on the Avenue Jazz label and returned to Sunnyside in 2001 with Behind Open Doors. It was followed by Ever Before Ever After in 2003.Laszlo’s albums have earned critical acclaim, including the highest (A) rating in the Village Voice Jazz Consumer Guide, and four-star reviews in Down Beat and the New York Daily News among others.
His musical background has given Laszlo a wide and varied musical reach. He has made solo appearances with the
Pops Traveling Ensemble , under conductorKeith Lockhart , took part in a concert series supporting theSmithsonian Institution ’s “Beyond Category” Traveling Duke Ellington Exhibit, and worked with the Grammy-award winningDanish Radio Big Band which commissioned Laszlo to arrange and record his compositions with them. Laszlo’s work has also been recognized by theInternational Association for Jazz Education . He was invited to perform with his trio at the 2001IAJE Conference and subsequently to a clinic/concert trip toIreland as a member of the Berklee College of Music team. Laszlo has recently begun to work with a unique and original group called The Wayfaring Strangers. This band, led by violinistMatt Glaser , fuses bluegrass and modern jazz, and features such diverse soloists as singerTracy Bonham , drummerJamey Haddad andTony Trischka on banjo. The group received rave reviews for their performances with theBoston Pops and with theUtah Symphony as well as for their appearance at the Bottom Line (in the New York Times).Laszlo continues to record and tour worldwide, attracting new fans and earning critical acclaim for his synthesis of many musical sources and for creating a joyous, humorous, insightful, and open spirited music.
External links
* [http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail.php?id=148&type=department&value=PN&skip= Berklee College of Music Faculty page]
* [http://www.lgjazz.com/ Laszlo Gardony website]
* [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,434264,00.html#bio Artistdirect]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.