|
Storyville Jazz Band has been formed by talented young musicians in Szeged in the beginning of 1997. Their music recalls the atmosphere of New Orleans in the era between 1900 and 1920, just like their name, for the music named ragtime or dixieland, from which jazz evolved later, was born in Storyville, the entertainment quarter of this city. Their repertoire is colorful. In accordance with their name their program has been composed of traditional and revival hits of this genre, recalling the atmosphere of the era and the place. They are popular guests of festivals and concerts all over Hungary.
List of the members:
Frankie Lato - violin
Árpád Dennert - clarinet
Péter Farkas - trumpet
László Sallai - trombone
Attila Szorcsik - double bass
Kornél Kurina - banjo
Viktor Hegyi - piano
Pál Háló - drums, head of the band
Bea Paku - singer
In the last 10 years of its existence, Storyville Jazz Band represented Hungary and Szeged with successes in several festivals in many countries in Europe. Since the success in Cracow International Jazz Festival in 1999, they are regular guests in Poland. In 2001, they played as the representative band of Szeged in Liege (Belgium). In 2002, they won 3rd place in the competition of New Orleans style bands in Saint-Raphael, in France, while as a solist, Frankie Látó, the excellent violinist won the special award of the jury.
Since 1998, Storyville Jazz Band is the hosting band and the organizer of the Dixie Festival in the frames of Szeged Summer Festival, where they had the opportunity to share the stage with the most acknowledged musicians of dixieland (Joe Muranyi, Audrey Motang, Disney Baley, Joan Bell, Keith Smith, Carling Family, Jazztikots, Chris Barber, Nancy Holoway, Irakli, Marcell Zanini etc.).
As an additional event to Dome Dixie Festivals in the summer, Storyville J.B. is the organizer and host band of Christmas Dixie Gala in Szeged National Theater. The band takes part in almost every dixieland or jazz festival in Hungary, usually with big success (Salgótarján, Sárospatak, Siófok, Budapest, Aggtelek, Debrecen, Kecskemét etc.).
The album Storyville Swing with Joe Muranyi, which came out in 2000, was a big hit among jazz fans, giving the opportunity to a longer tour together with Joe Muranyi. The highest event of this tour was the concert taken at the U. S. Embassy in Budapest which brought a big success among top personalities in politics.
The band plays a significant role in concerts of charity organizations, for example Lions or Rotary Club. A special attention should be paid to the events organized by Lions Club in Pécs.
One can see from all these mentioned above that Storyville Jazz Band has a very wide repertoire which makes the band suitable to take part in any kind of concerts with any character (for example club, competition, full stage, marching, charity, beer festival concerts). In their music the characteristics of New Orleans and Chicago style can be found within the frame of dixieland, but they are familiar also with the music of swing era which came later. With Frankie Látó, the excellent solo-violinist they like to mix gipsy music with jazz. From time to time, as the situation requires, a singer joins to the band in the concerts.
|
Kornél Kurina
