Swing Is In The Air
Sunday October 7th, 2018 with Bernard Stepien
Hungarian clarinetist Lajos Dudas and trumpeter Don Ellis

Hungarian clarinetist Lajos Dudas has been straddling several musical genres between classical music and Jazz over the last four decades. While most of the famous European Jazz musicians are quasi unknown in North America, Lajos Dudas has attracted comments from prominent Jazz educators. Harry Skoler, professor woodwinds at the prestigious Berklee School of Music wrote “He is a master of concept, his music is profound, his sound is truth. Without question Lajos is the finest modern Jazz clarinetist that I’ve ever heard. And I mean it sincerely, with great admiration.” Trumpeter Don Ellis had a short career due to a stroke in his 44th year in 1978. He also got involved in many musical genres and is said to be influenced by John Cage and Karl Heinz Stockhausen. Besides his Jazz combos and big bands, he played with the New York Philharmonic Orchstra and worked with Gunther Schuller, Leonard Bernstein and even the Industani Jazz Sextet. No wonder that the compositions of Don Ellis are heavily loaded with unusual time signature such as 3 2/3 / 4 time and unusual tonalities.