Back on Schedule

The change of the usual midsummer date of the Debrecen Jazz Days to late October, was not good news for the biggest jazz event of the country. The program offered a few known names including Chet Baker, Theo Jörgensman, Severi Pyysalo, String Connection, Ulrich Gumpert, the George Haslam Level Two and from local scene György Szabados, the Super Trio, Tamás Berki, Gyula Babos, Károly Binder, and the Hungarian Jazz Quartet. Of course, there were some fine moments (Igor Nazaruk’s quartet from the Soviet Union creating a splash with its elaborate, impressionistic suite), but the absence of a large audience, normal in midsummer led to a half-hearted atmosphere during the concerts.

Fortunately, this year’s plans suggest a hopeful return of the festival’s brighter years, with the Jazz Days scheduled for 21-24 July. Because of the financial contribution of the managing agency, Interconcert, it will be possible to widen the range of invited personalities to include critics, the media and promoters. The Debrecen Jazz Days this year will, as usual, be organized by Hungarian Radio and the cultural authorities of the town Debrecen, 220 kilometers east of Budapest. The program is expected to focus more on the Hungarian and East-European jazz scene.

(Jazz Forum, 1988/3)