Halper Hendrix Experiment - Szimpla Koncert (2015)

The precursor to tonight's production is the Band of Gypsys Reincarnation founded by inventive guitarist László Halper. The formation released its first album in collaboration with the legendary trumpeter Randy Brecker in 2010. The album entitled 40 Years After - put out on the 40th anniversary of the death of Jimi Hendrix - garnered a positive review in DownBeat, the world's number one specialist jazz magazine. In 2012, Halper paid tribute to the memory of Jimi Hendrix with a major concert at Müpa Budapest to mark the 70th anniversary of the guitar virtuoso's birth. On that occasion, two world stars in drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Eddie Gomez made up the rhythm section, while István Fekete played trumpet. The recording of the concert was released CD on 27 November 2013 (Hendrix's birthday) and was entitled Electric Angelland.
The natural continuation of all this is the Halper/Hendrix Experiment, which plays Jimi Hendrix numbers in their own jazz interpretation. The band leader has been joined by an outstanding cimbalom player in Kálmán Balogh, whose virtuoso play gives the quartet an unmistakable sound and style. A regular guest at clubs and festivals in Transylvania as well as Hungary, the Halper/Hendrix Experiment is completed by Zsolt Kosztyu on bass guitar and László Hajas on drums. Their album entitled Szimpla koncert was released in 2015. For the closing concert of this year's Jazz Workshop, the 70-year-old Brecker Randy, who himself is a living history of jazz, returns as the band's special guest. His career as a performer and composer that has run since 1967 is a guarantee of the high-quality of the perfect fusion of rock and jazz.