Artist database

This is the Artist Database of BMC, which includes information about composers, musicians, orchestras, choirs and groups that are either Hungarian or Hungarian by origin or live in Hungary, as well as information about releases recorded with them.

Egri János


electric bass, double bass


 
7 February 1966 Budapest

Jazz bass player and bass guitar player, one of the most engaged members of the young generation. He mainly plays modern mainstream, but he took part in a number of crossover, world music and pop music productions.

He was born to a family of musicians and started his music studies at the age of seven. First he played the piano, and then at the age of fourteen he switched to double bass. His teachers were József Boros and Gyula Sellei.

Since the age of seventeen, he’s been an active jazz musician and played with almost every famous Hungarian jazz musicians, such as Dezső Ablakos Lakatos, Gábor Füsti Balogh, Gyula Babos, Frigyes Pleszkán, Ferenc Snétberger, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, György Vukán, Károly Binder, Tamás Berki, Tony Lakatos, Mihály Dresch, Géza Pecek Lakatos, Imre Kőszegi, Rudolf Tomsits, Attila László and David Yengibarjan.

In 1990 he formed the group Trio Midnight with Kálmán Oláh (piano) and Elemér Balázs (drums), they recorded five albums together. He founded his first own band, the János Egri Group, in 1996. The album Moods (1998) includes rock-based jazz and virtuoso bass guitar solos, while the album Soft Waves is remarkable for its lyrical acoustic sound and contains chamber music. János Egri often gives trio concerts with Kálmán Oláh and András Mohay.

He’s been invited to a number of prestigious festivals, and as member of various formations he’s performed in Toronto and at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia (1993), at the Jazz in Marciac Festival and in Bratislava (1995), in Istanbul (1996), at the Getxo Jazz Festival in Bilbao (1998), in Nuremberg (1998), in Karlovy Vary (1999) and at the Ciney Jazz Night Festival in Belgium (1999, 2000, and 2001).

Throughout his career he’s contributed to more than twenty records and played with such famous musicians as Frank Zappa, James Moody, Tony Scott, Steve Grossman, Pat Metheny, Jack DeJohnette, Lee Konitz, Hal Galper and many more. He is a successful composer as well, with the composition Little Johnny he came in second place at the Billboard World Song Contest (2008, jazz category).

He was honored with the Golden Cross of Merit of Order of the Hungarian Republic on 15 March, 2009.

János Egri has been teaching double bass and bass guitar in the Music Studio of Kőbánya (founded by the Union of Hungarian Musicians and Dancers) since 1997.


Festivals:

1993 - Toronto (Szakcsi Quartet)
1993 - UMBRIA (Trio Midnight)
1995 - Marciac (Kálmán Oláh Sextet)
1996 - Istanbul (Imer Demire Quintet)
1998 - Getxo-Bilbao (Trio Midnight)
1998 - Nuremberg (F. Snétberger)
1999 - Ciney /Belgium (Trio Midnight) featuring Steve Houben
2000 - Ciney /Belgium (Trio Midnight) featuring Lee Konitz
2001 - Ciney /Belgium (Trio Midnight) featuring Fabricio Alleman


Records:

1990 - Tamás Berki: Good Morning Good Man (Hungaroton)
1992 - Károly Binder Quartet: Senior and Adolphis (Hungaroton)
1993 - Joe Mikovich Quartet: Jazzin (Yvp Music Germany)
1994 - Imre Kőszegi Trio: Drummer's Dream (Yvp Music Germany)
1995 - Kálmán Oláh Sextet: Night Silence (Bouvard & Pécuchet)
1997 - Mária Bornemissza and Trio Midnight: In Memoriam Gershwin (Art Tours)
1997 - Ferenc Snétberger Trio: Obsession (Enja, Germany)
1998 - János Egri: Moods (Infoimpress)
2000 - Elemér Balázs Quintet: Always that Moment (BMC Records)
2000 - György Vukán: Alone (CAE Vukán Records)
2001 - Charlie Horváth: Charlie Jazz (Warner Music Records)
2001 - János Egri: Soft Waves (KCG - Universal)
2002 - Kálman Oláh & Péter Lehel feat. Budapest Chamber Symphony, Trio Midnight: Hungarian Rhapsody (GOOD International Co. Korea)
2003 - Kálman Oláh Trio, feat. János Egri & Ferenc Németh: Contrast and Parallels (MA recordings, Japan)
 
Year Title Publisher Code Remark
1992 Nyeső Radioton BK706
1994 Kőszegi Imre Trió: Drummer's Dreams YVP Music yvp music cd 3044
1995 Oláh Kálmán Sextet: Night Silence Bouvard & Pécuchet VBP 031
1997 Trio Midnight: Live In Budapest JOKA PJ 1035
1998 At the Moment Magneoton 39842 51192
1998 Snétberger Ferenc: Obsession Tiptoe TIP-888 834 2
1998 Egri János: Moods Infoimpress ii001 Own
2000 Balázs Elemér Quintet: Always That Moment BMC Records BMC CD 037
2000 Trio Midnight feat. Steve Houben: Friends Meeting Ciney Jazz Night
2000 Trio Midnight featuring Lee Konitz: On Track Wellington-Universal WELL CD 2000 Own
2001 Egri János: Soft Waves Universal KCG 006 Own
2002 Oláh Kálmán & Lehel Péter feat. Budapest Chamber Simphony, Trio Midnight: Hungarian Rhapsody GOOD International co. GI-3052
2003 Kálmán Oláh Trio: Contrasts and Parallels MA Recordings M065A
2004 László Attila és barátai: On the Broadway TOM-TOM Records
2005 Hungarian Jazz Store BMC HMIC BMC PCD 016 Not for sale - only for promotion / 4 CDs
2005 Trio Midnight meets Lee Konitz: Live at Dinant Jazz Nights NetAktiv Records NA 001
2007 Blues egy trombitásért Magánkiadás AE521268
2010 Egri János Trio: Voice & Bass EMI HRCD921