Mihály Borbély is a giant on reeds, playing saxophone, clarinet, and  árogató, clarinets, recorder and different kinds of peasants’ pipes. His concert is a polyphonic experience like no other—ranging from Hungarian folk music to world music to jazz and contemporary in one tight set. The Mihály Borbély Quartet is a classic jazz piano quartet harkening to the peak melodic period of Coltrane. But they go one step more and combine Serbian, Slovak, Gypsy, Jewish and German folk influences with classical jazz, shot through with that thing that swings. The Quartet has twice won “Best Hungarian Jazz Album of the year,” and is well known for their rich, mature sound and the complex beauty of their compositions. Their set, commissioned just for Jazz Poetry 2020, is recorded at the famed Budapest Jazz Club.

Tibor Zalán is a poet, writer, and playwright. He works in the Theatre of Békéscsaba and teaches at the Carpatian Basin Talent Development Academy. He has published two collections of haiku: Frame (2008) and And some haiku (2015). For two consecutive years (2010 and 2011), Zalán judged the haiku contest organized by the Budapest Office of the Japan Foundation. He was awarded the Laurel Wreath Award of the Republic of Hungary. He lives in Budapest, Hungary.

Mihály Borbély - saxophones, tárogató, clarinet, bass clarinet, flutes

During his career, multireedist Mihály Borbély has become a versatile musician working in different musical styles from folk and world music to jazz and contemporary music. Besides the saxophone and the clarinet he also plays several folk instruments including the beautiful sounding Hungarian tárogató. He has played at major folk, world music and jazz festivals all over Europe as well as in the US, Mexico and Australia. He has won several prizes like “Best Soloist’’ of the Karlovy Vary Jazz Festival, “Alto Saxophonist of the Year“, “Soprano Saxophonist of the Year“, "Clarinetist of the Year" (JazzMa), Gábor Szabó Jazz Prize and the prestigious Kossuth Prize as a member of the Vujicsics band.

The Mihály Borbély Quartet includes musicians with similar spirit and taste. The group is a tight-knight band with an improvisational style that includes various styles of jazz, contemporary music and the folk music heritage of the Carpathian-Basin and the Balkans. Their work is saturated by interesting melodic variations and powerful rhythmic patterns.

Jazz Poetry Month: Mihály Borbély Quartet ft. Poet Tibor Zalán