Artist database

Kati Bontovics, the winner of the Gábor Szabó Prize in 2005, is one of the leading singers of jazz life in Hungary. She completed her studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory under György Vukán and Éva Gábor between 1973 and 1977; however, her professional career had started as early as 1969. Until 1975 she was a member of the group Scampolo, then started working with leading jazz bands. Between 1977 and 1985 she performed with the trio of György Vukán, then as the soloist of the Budapest Big Band she appeared on stage of the Pori Jazz Festival with great success in 1987. She has toured with different bands of drummer Imre Kőszegi and the late trumpet player, Rudolf Tomsits. She has been an occasional guest soloist with Jiggs Wigham since the early 1980s, and contributed to Gábor Szabó’s last performance in Budapest. She is still a regular performer with the Vukán Trio, as well as with the Trio Midnight, and the Budapest Jazz Orchestra. At the 2nd Budapest Jazz Festival in 2004 she stepped on stage with the BJO and the legendary Johnny Griffin. Bontovics has led her own jazz bands since 1988. Her individual voice, energetic personality, feeling for jazz and strong sense for not only swing, but also R’n’B and soul has made her one of the best-known and most highly-regarded singers of Hungary.
The styles played by the Kati Bontovics Group range from mainstream jazz and be-bop to R’n’B and soul. They have performed at several festivals at home and in different European countries, and the musicians are acknowledged personalities of the Hungarian jazz scene in their own right.

Year	Title	Publisher	Code	Remark
2005	Hungarian Jazz Store	BMC HMIC	BMC PCD 016	Not for sale - only for promotion / 4 CDs