 One name: Lajos Dudas - one instrument: the clarinet - these both terms together form the most creative power of the European jazz scene today. "Lajos Dudas is obviously a first-rate clarinettist. The level of his playing is extremely high" says the clarinet master Artie Shaw, and the American magazine "The Cadence" calls him "sensitive, inventive and really swing", and the great German jazz critic/author Prof. Joachim-Ernst Berendt appreciates the Hungarian artist as an "esteemed stylist because of the delicacy and mildness of his freetonal play ". With such experts' praises the expectency is very high and many musicians fail with new projects - they disappear from the big stages and the CD shelves. Not so Lajos Dudas: his creative mind seems to be unbroken. Again and again he surprises with extremely musically releases in different styles, so no one can put him in a stylistic drawer. Besides his virtuosic skills, technical variety enormous creativity, the element of surpise which can be found in all his works is another big point of Lajos Dudas' music: sometimes he is more traditional, sometimes the avantgarde and the experimental possibilities rule the tunes, and sometimes he gives his hole attention to the classical works of Carl Maria von Weber, J. S. Bach, and Igor Stravinsky. He feels at home on every stage - with his many-sided activities as a musician, composer, teacher, arranger, and bandleader he is really well introduced to a wide-spread audience. "Some Great Songs" is his new recording which shows him again from his best side: as a virtous musician, inventive artist and highly gifted composer. Eleven tunes can be heard on "Some Great Songs". The repertoire forms an outstanding mixture of well-known standards in a new costume and some originals, together arising a real artwork. Beautiful but very individual - with his own special touch - sounds the interpretation of Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are", wonderful swinging is Henry Mancini's "Days Of Wine And Roses", Duke Ellington's "Caravan" gallops with hot rhythms, groovy and in superior style sounds Attila Zoller's "A Thousand Dreams", sensitive and in a little melancholy mood is Morgan Lewis' "How High The Moon". Also featured are wonderful interpretations of Leon Russel's "The Masquarade" and Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford". Added to the outstanding program are the originals by Lajos Dudas. "West Coast" is a dreamy number with a lot of feeling and impressive moods - a warm summer evening at the sea with an imaginary sunset and a glass of red wine in the hand. Very bluesy sounds the tune "Don't Forget Fatty", a short trip to the borderlands of jazz with a lot of blues charm. The rhythmical up-tempo piece "Zugabe" complete the variety of the album. On "Some Great Songs" Lajos Dudas compiled a high-carat Ensemble. To the reliable members Philipp van Endert on guitar, who contributed his marvellous melodical "Mouse" to the album, and drummer Kurt Billker two new musicians are featured: bass player Leonard Jones comes from the Chicago AACM scene who present himself as an excellent sideman with a lot of solistical skills, and Jochen Büttner on percussions who decorate the driving playing of the drums with a lot of different sounds and instruments. "Some Great Songs" marks another step in the long and successful carreer of an excellent musician, who's on the best way to become a living legend!
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