Elek Bacsik

Elek Bacsik (born May 22, 1926 in Budapest , † February 14, 1993 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois near Chicago ) was a Hungarian jazz violinist and jazz guitarist .

Born into a Roma family, Bacsik began playing the violin at the age of four and later studied at the Budapest Conservatory. From 1943 on he appeared mainly as a guitarist, which he taught himself self-taught, in folklore groups such as that of the accordionist Mihály Tabányi . Furthermore, he recorded numerous - with guitar, violin as well as with bass and cello.

He served in the Hungarian army for three years. In 1949 he left Hungary and performed for a while in Austria and Switzerland with his friend, the pianist György Cziffra . He then spent around two years in Lebanon , where he played in both dance and classical orchestras. In 1951 he played in Italy and made recordings with the trio of the Neapolitan pianist and singer Renato Carosone (1920–2001) for Pathé, where he played bass, violin and guitar. In 1957 he played in Spain and for a short time in Portugal.

From 1959 he lived in Paris, where he played bass with the American jazz pianist Art Simmons in a trio with Michel Gaudry in the Mars Club near the Champs-Elysees . During his stay in France he also performed with jazz musicians such as Clark Terry , Kenny Clarke , Pierre Michelot , Dizzy Gillespie , Lou Bennett , Georges Arvanitas , Quincy Jones and chanson singers such as Barbara , Sacha Distel , Serge Gainsbourg , Claude Nougaro , Juliette Gréco , Jeanne Moreau up. In 1962 Dizzy Gillespie invited him to a joint appearance at the jazz festival in Juan-les-Pins . A live record was recorded. He also had success with guitar adaptations of the works of Dave Brubeck ("Blue Rondo a la Turk", "Take Five"). Regular appearances on television shows made him known and famous in France. Republished recordings from 1962 prove him to be an elegant and modern musician of international format, with clear influences from Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall , who also names Tal Farlow and Laurindo Almeida as role models.

In 1966 he went to the United States, where he initially worked with gypsy groups, e. B. "Zigani Ballet", as well as toured with the bouzouki group of the Armenian violinist Hrach Yacoubian and then settled in Las Vegas , where he also recorded some records (themes from TV music, accompaniment from singers like Tony Bennett ). At times he also played the violin in an accompanying orchestra of Elvis Presley . In 1974 the producer Bob Thiele brought him back to the jazz scene: he performed as a violinist with Dizzy Gillespie at the Newport Jazz Festival and recorded the promotional LP "I love you" with an all-star cast ( Oliver Nelson , alto saxophone, Hank Jones , Piano, Bucky Pizzarelli , guitar, Ray Barretto , percussion, Richard Davis , double bass and Elvin Jones , drums) on and 1975 "Bird and Dizz - a musical tribute" (on electric violin). Then he went back to Las Vegas, where he was concertmaster of the orchestra of the singer Wayne Newton . In 1989 he played at the first jazz festival in Québec , after which he played for several months in jazz clubs and restaurants in Québec and Montreal in 1990/1.

In 1991 he suffered a stroke that partially paralyzed him. In addition, there was a lung cancer that was treated with chemotherapy. He died in the USA in 1993.

Discography

• The electric guitar of the eclectic Elek Bacsik (Nuages), with Pierre Michelot (double bass), Michel Gaudry (double bass), Daniel Humair (drums), Kenny Clarke (drums). Collection Jazz In Paris (first recorded by Fontana, 1962)
• Guitar Conceptions , with Maurice Vander (organ), Guy Pedersen (double bass), Daniel Humair (drums). Collection Jazz In Paris (recording first Fontana 1963)
• Dizzy Gillespie, Dizzy on the French Riviera , Polygram, 1962 (initially LP under the title "The New Sound of Jazz", with Lalo Schifrin , Leo Wright and others at Philips)
• Jeanne Moreau , 12 Chansons nouvelles , 1966
• I love you , 1974 (he plays electric violin, violin, a blues on electric guitar)
• Bird and Dizzy: A Musical Tribute (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
• Serge Gainsbourg Gainsbourg confidentiel , Philips 1963

Web links

• Elek Bacsik at Allmusic (English)
• Review of his album Guitar conceptions ( Hungarian )
• Bacsik on djangostation by Steven Jambot, French and review of "The electric guitar of the eclectic Elek Bacsik"

Remarks

1. ↑ The record is highly traded today, but could not help it to break through in the USA at the time.