Harmónia Jazzműhely: Carl Winther with Balázs Brothers / Hannah Svensson with Cseke Trio

This will be the joyous 'return match' of the one-week Scandinavian-Hungarian jazz jamboree at The Standard in Copenhagen.

Like the great Buddy Rich, DAVID HODEK started drumming at the tender age of three. Both his father and grandfather were musicians. His mother taught ballet. A year later he was already playing in a rhythm-and-blues band. One of the greatest Hungarian drummers, Vilmos Jávori took him under his wing. At the age of 10 he formed a band of outstandingly talented youngsters from Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. Two years later he won in Austria the coveted Hans Koller Prize as Talent of the Year. His reputation grew in leaps and bounds and, by now, as an 18 year old he is invited to play with the cream of not only Hungary’s or Slovakia’s but Europe’s musicians.

Drummer GYÖRGY JESZENSZKY is a fantastic all-rounder who crops up in the most diverse formations ranging from ethno-jazz through hard-bop right to the outer reaches of the avant-garde. A true master of his instrument with an incredible sense of dynamics. No wonder most singers are desperate to have him backing them. He is one of the world famous British jazz-singer’s Liane Carroll’s favourite drummers who always  makes her glow with pleasure during her Budapest gigs.

Multiple award winning young drummer MÁRTON JUHÁSZ studied extensively in his native Hungary, winning national first prize for solo percussion in 2005, before re-locating to study in London. After being awarded the prize for top overall student on his course, in 2007 he was accepted in to Berklee College of Music. Since then he has performed and recorded extensively both in the US and Hungary, including performances at the 14th, 15th and 16th International Drum Festivals. He accompanied the legendary Peter King in the 606 Club in London. He became a corner stone of one of Hungary’s most exciting contemporary jazz outfits, the 1705 and is also the founder and leader of a most exciting afro-jazz-rock band, the Euro-African Playground. An incredibly sensisitive and, at the same time, a most exciting drummer, he came to international prominence recently as a member of the fantastic Scottish pianist, Alan  Benzie’s trio with which he successfully debuted at Ronnie Scotts.

RÓBERT  LAKATOS an exceptionally gifted pianist, at home in both jazz and classical music. He walked away with the first prize from the solo piano competition at the 2000 Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2005 he was voted best soloist at the Avignon International Jazz Festival.  Since then he has established a serious reputation for himself in the world of jazz. Jack DeJohnette, one of the jazz giants he has played with, had this to say: „I believe Robert is one of the best young pianists on the jazz scene today”. Another one-time musical partner, John Patitucci gave the following opinion on Robert’s playing: „His sound and touch on the piano are highly developed and very lyrical".

PÉTER OLÁH is a bass-player of outstanding musical intelligence. As an accompanist he is sensitive and empathic, while his solos usually are exquisitely constructed. Not surprisingly he is a member of numerous top line outfits and bands.

Bassist GYÖRGY ORBÁN was a member of the Bolla Quartet that won the jury and audience prize at the Avignon International Jazz Festival. He is a hard swinging player with brilliant conceptions, a virtuoso who is, nevertheless totally unselfish as an accompanist. It’s due to these qualities that he is in enormous demand in the Hungarian jazz world.

An outstading bass-player of only 26, KRISZTIÁN PECEK LAKATOS  was 13 when he won the National Jazz Bass Competetion in his country that is chock-a-block full of terrific bass players – most of them Roma Gypsies (John Pattitucci was on the jury who insisted that Krisztian shares the stage with him at his own Budapest concert next day). Krisztian has since woved London audiences several times with his astonishing mastery of the double bass.

Singer HANNAH SVENSSON was born and raised on Sweden’s west coast. Hannah has been lucky in her musical education. Her father Ewan Svensson is a renowed jazz guitarist and has been a great source of inspiration to her. At the age of nine she started taking piano lessons and eventually guitar lessons as well. Without any ambitions to be a singer, seventeen-year-old Hannah heard Eva Cassidy singing for the first time, was touched to tears and that’s when her interest in singing took off. Hannah made her first singing performance at a cousin’s wedding one year later and there would be many more to come. At the age of twenty-one Hannah began to sing in her own group “Hannah & Acoustic 3” in which her father also played guitar.
She was discovered by the manager of The Standard in Copenhagen, the world famous pianist, Niels Lan Doky. She was a great success at the club and also at the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival, the Kristianstad and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Hannah has released two CDs and worked with, among others, Niels Lan Doky, Jan Lundgren, Alvin Queen, Ira Coleman, Harry Allen and Svante Thuresson.
Hannah creates her own unique sound through her spontaneous personality, powerful expression and clear phrasing.

Songstress NIKI SZŐKE is the brightest singing star on the Hungarian jazz scene. She is one of the very few who is not only adored by the audience but by her rivals too. She is truly a musicians’ musician. In view of that it’s not surprising that in 2005 she walked away with the first prize and the audience prize from the vocalists’ world competition at the 2005 Montreux International Jazz Festival. She brought the house down in New York, London, Berlin and in Copenhagen where her show made it to the Danish TV screens. But the scene of her biggest success is Japan where already her fifth album is selling by the thousands! In 2010 she performed with Bobby McFerrin in Budapest. She is equally at home in the demanding jazz vocals of the mainstream or bebop, as well as in the more danceable, funky, soul-flavoured type of jazz.


CARL WINTHER is one of Denmarks best young piano players. Son of the world famous composer and trumpet player, Jens Winther, he started touring at an early age. He is a breathtakingly virtuoso performer and a fluent improviser. Carl is a trained jazz and classical musician with a true love for Latin and African rhythms. His own compositions are inspired by all this, as well as by the funky style of Herbie Hancocks 70s music mixed with some avant garde influences. He won two awards for his compositions. BJC audiences can attest to him being a superb performer ever since they saw him as part of Jerry Bergonzi’s quartet. He has also performed with the likes of Billy Hart, Bill Evans,, Daniel Humair, Adam Nussbaum, Till Broenner, Markus Strickland and Hugo Rasmussen,  to name some. Winther has been awarded for his precise and extravagant. his compositions , and his amazing performance skills. He leads three bands of his own.