Garay Attila
piano
Place of Birth
Orosháza
Date of Birth
1931
Jazz pianist, composer, singing teacher, répétiteur.
His rich repertoire, unique singing style and outstanding piano playing made him one of the greatest figures of the Hungarian jazz of the 50s, 60s and 70s. His style has been influenced by the rhythm of hard bop, swing and Latin-American jazz.
He started his studies in classical music in the Béla Bartók Music School, Békéscsaba, and from 1950 he continued it in Budapest as pupil of Lajos Vasadi Balogh and Jenő Zolnai. In 1950 he also matriculated to the Faculty of Law at the Lóránd Eötvös University and 1955 he received his PhD degree in law and political sciences. The same year he suddenly appeared in the jazz life of Budapest and became a significant figure of the Hungarian mainstream for over a quarter of century. In 1956 he was member of the revolutionary board of the union of musicians. From 1957 he performed in Turkey for one and a half year he mainly played in various clubs of Ankara and later he toured in Scandinavian countries.
Hes participated at a number of international festivals: in 1962 he performed at the Jazz Jamboree in Warsawa, and the same year he won the grand prize of the Jazz Festival of Karlovy Vary. In 1963 he was invited to a Swedish festival, in 1964 to Prague, and in 1966 to Bled and Nuremberg. He was guest performer in Switzerland, in the Netherlands, in East- and West Germany, but in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland, too. In 1968 he became art manager of the Róna Catering Company and he mainly organized jazz nights. In the 70s and 80s he rather performed in hotels and other catering units (like the KATI bar on the Szentkirályi Street).
Hes performed with almost every famous Hungarian jazz musician and on account of his soloistic preferences hes played in small formations (in trios and quartets). He was an active music teacher as well: from 1979 he has taught in the Music School of the Union of Railwaymen, from 1981 at the Jazz Department of the Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music, and he was also reader at the Jazz Department of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy.
He was awarded with the Leó Weiner Award in 1995 and the Gábor Szabó Award in 1996.
His rich repertoire, unique singing style and outstanding piano playing made him one of the greatest figures of the Hungarian jazz of the 50s, 60s and 70s. His style has been influenced by the rhythm of hard bop, swing and Latin-American jazz.
He started his studies in classical music in the Béla Bartók Music School, Békéscsaba, and from 1950 he continued it in Budapest as pupil of Lajos Vasadi Balogh and Jenő Zolnai. In 1950 he also matriculated to the Faculty of Law at the Lóránd Eötvös University and 1955 he received his PhD degree in law and political sciences. The same year he suddenly appeared in the jazz life of Budapest and became a significant figure of the Hungarian mainstream for over a quarter of century. In 1956 he was member of the revolutionary board of the union of musicians. From 1957 he performed in Turkey for one and a half year he mainly played in various clubs of Ankara and later he toured in Scandinavian countries.
Hes participated at a number of international festivals: in 1962 he performed at the Jazz Jamboree in Warsawa, and the same year he won the grand prize of the Jazz Festival of Karlovy Vary. In 1963 he was invited to a Swedish festival, in 1964 to Prague, and in 1966 to Bled and Nuremberg. He was guest performer in Switzerland, in the Netherlands, in East- and West Germany, but in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland, too. In 1968 he became art manager of the Róna Catering Company and he mainly organized jazz nights. In the 70s and 80s he rather performed in hotels and other catering units (like the KATI bar on the Szentkirályi Street).
Hes performed with almost every famous Hungarian jazz musician and on account of his soloistic preferences hes played in small formations (in trios and quartets). He was an active music teacher as well: from 1979 he has taught in the Music School of the Union of Railwaymen, from 1981 at the Jazz Department of the Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music, and he was also reader at the Jazz Department of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy.
He was awarded with the Leó Weiner Award in 1995 and the Gábor Szabó Award in 1996.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Attila Garai: Dojmy Z Turecka | Supraphon | 0164 | LP |
| 1964 | Modern jazz IV-V. - Anthology 64 | Hungaroton | LPX 7279-80 | |
| 1965 | Pierre Gossez: Come Bach | Barclay | CBLP 2059 | LP |
| 1968 | Modern jazz VII. - Anthology 68 | Hungaroton | LPX 17392 | LP |
| 1969 | Pierre Gossez Jazz Quintet: Bach takes a trip | Vanguard | VCS-10061 | LP |
| 1973 | Modern Jazz Anthology X. | Hungaroton | SLPX 17441 | LP |
| 1982 | Deák Big Band: Azok a húszas évek ... - Világslágerek angol nyelven | Pepita | SLPX 17681 | LP |
| 2001 |
Éjfél Már
(It's Midnight) |
Hungaroton | HCD 71044 | |
| 2001 |
Kőrössy János, Lakatos Ablakos Dezső: Éjfél már
(János Kőrössy, Dezső (Ablakos) Lakatos: It's midnight) |
Hungaroton | HCD 71044 | |
| 2013 | Eteenpäin! Suomi-Jazz 1960-1975 | Artie Music | AMCD 1041 | 3 CDs |