Benkó Dixieland Band
Orchestra, choir, ensemble
The Benkó Dixieland Band, one of the longest existing and most popular bands in Hungary was founded in 1957. They started touring in the 1960s in Eastern European countries, then from the 1970s they had the opportunity to participate in Western European festivals. They were prize winners at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, the audience of the San Sebastian Festival voted them the best in 1972, then in 1976 they received the Stars of the Years honour at the London Music Week. The band first toured the US in 1982 winning the Grand Prize of the Sacramento Jazz Festival, and they also got prestitious decorations from the state of California, and even from the President of the US. The band leader, Sándor Benkó himself was honoured with the Europa Inter Lyra Prize and the Liszt Prize, and the highest acknowledgement the band received was the Officer's Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary. The Benkó Dixieland Band has played with such renowned musicians as Milt Jackson, Freddy Hubbard, Al Grey, Buddy Tate, Joe Newman, Buddy Wachter, Cynthia Sayer, Eddy Davis, Henry Questa, Joe Muranyi, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Albert Nicolas, Wild Bill Davison, Chris Barber, Kenny Ball, Huub Janssen, and Acker Bilk. They give 200-250 concerts annually in Hungary and all over the world to the present day. They released their 64th album recently, and they have been featured in dozens of TV shows.
Current performances of Benkó Dixieland Band
Koncertkalendárium (www.muzsikalendarium.hu)
Current performances of Benkó Dixieland Band
Koncertkalendárium (www.muzsikalendarium.hu)