Modern Art Orchestra - Dedications (2022)

One of the most exciting projects in Hungarian jazz life, the Modern Art Orchestra, came out with another special edition last year. The group, led by Kornél Fekete-Kovács, will perform pieces by the artistic director on the album under discussion, which is also titled “Dedications”. And true to MAO, once again, not only the musical sound, but also the content it carries is remarkable.

“Dedications” actually contains ten recommendations, but they are also different from the usual form. Interestingly, the album also features names like Benny Golson, David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Sherry Williams, or Tony Lakatos.

In any case, it is not typical for Kornél Fekete-Kovács and the MAO to simply copy previous samples. Experimentation has been a constant feature since the band's inception, and their earlier appearances are good examples of this, such as the jazz paraphrase of Purcell's opera The Fairy Queen, or when Bartók's cycle "Fifteen Hungarian Peasants" was approached in jazz, electronic and contemporary classical sound (call also the small booklet that came with the disc).

From this we can learn that the idea of ​​“Dedications” was born in 2005. Now, 16 years later, this jazz suite has become a reality, spanning stages of human life, epochs in style history and continents. From the inside cover, we can see that the recordings were made at five different locations and times: they recorded songs on two different days in the Valley of the Arts 2016, at the BMC studio in 2015, at the SuperSize studio in 2016, and at the 2015 Academy of Music. we can also listen to a concert this way.

On the album we can find many creative, complex and exciting orchestral orchestras so characteristic of the Modern Art Orchestra. Excellent solo productions follow one another continuously, coupled with impeccable orchestral sound. The songs are built flawlessly, beautifully crafted, richly shaped and packed with unexpected shifts. And the improvisations are as excellent as we’ve become accustomed to from these musicians. “Dedications” is another great example of why the Modern Art Orchestra is such a significant domestic production.