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Musicians: Lajos Dudas cl, Philipp van Endert g, Martin Gjakonovski b, Kurt Billker dr, Gerd Dudek ss,fl
Recording date: January 2002
Recording place: Studio Ansgar Ballhorn
Lajos Dudas is celebrating his 60th birthday this year. He has appeared on innumerous stages for 40 years and has already played with all the big names of European jazz as an active musician. Born in Hungary (his name is pronounced „Lie-yosh Dudash“), he lives in Neuss, Germany today, from where he often heads off to concerts and on tours. But elements of his musical activities that are just as important are his compositions, which are both in jazz and classical styles (he had his basic training at the Bela Bartok Conservatorium in Budapest), and his almost 30 years of teaching at the Music School in Neuss. Consequently, it is not surprising that he is represented in almost all specialist jazz publications today from the Guinness Jazz Encyclopedia to Rowohlt’s Jazz Encyclopedia and J.E. Behrendt’s „Jazzbuch“. Although Lajos Dudas used to play tenor saxophone occasionally (his previous favorite instrument), he concentrates totally on the clarinet today. The popularity of this instrument has undeservedly declined in the eyes (and ears) of musician and jazz aficionados over the past years. But this CD by Lajos Dudas proves once again that the clarinet deserves much more appreciation. The possible quality of tones ranges from obstinate, even somewhat unwieldy, to a soft, ingratiating sound. Dudas controls the complete range, which could trigger a renaissance of the clarinet as a jazz instrument.
Dudas is just as reliable in his selection of his sidemen as he is constant in standing by his instrument and his perfect mastery of it. He has been playing on stages and in studios with Gerd Dudek (ss/fl) for years, one of the great German virtuosos on his instrument, as well as with Philipp van Endert (g) and Kurt Billker (dr). The only new member is Martin Gjakonovski (b), who fits in fantastically. These long years of collaboration (even including the recording manager, Ansgar Ballhorn, who has been ensuring production quality for Dudas for years) create a homogeneity, which is seldom found in these times of continually changing line-ups and recording locations. The songs on „Nightlight“ demonstrate the complete stylistic range of Lajos Dudas, from the opener (a version of a bourrée by J.S. Bach) to three of his own compositions all the way to standards by Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Horace Silver – with new and surprising arrangements – hearing is believing!
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