Martiny Lajos
piano, keyboards
Place of Birth
Budapest
Date of Birth
1912
11 June 1912, Budapest – 14 September 1985, Budapest
Jazz pianist, composer, a pioneer of Hungarian jazz music, he mainly composed symphonic jazz music for bigger bands.
He started his music studies on violin and piano at the age of 16. He studied both at high school and at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Budapest, where his teachers were Imre Kéri-Szántó (piano) and Antal Molnár (music theory).
After graduating he was a member of the Blue Boys Band. From 1932 he performed with the band of Béla Zöldessy in Kopenhagen, Gdansk, Dortmund and Düsseldorf. In 1934 he became well known on the Hungarian National Radio as a soloist with the Fejes and Damith jazz band.
In 1936 he founded his own group, Smiling Boys, and his members included Jenő Beamter "Bubi" and "Lexi" Rácz. The band, which contained 6 members, played jazz adaptions and swing music. In addition to concerts in Budapest, they also appeared in Basel, Luzern, Lugano and Bern. He made his first jazz recordings with the Radiola Bakelit Factory with a studio band of between 7-15 musicians, including Sándor Horváth, Károly Kurcz, Jenő Beamter and the English singer Anita Best. In the 40s he composed and arranged for symphonic jazz bands. At gala concerts and at recordings with 32 violinists Martiny was the conductor and played the piano solos.
After one year of military service and some time as an American prisoner of war, he came back to Hungary and formed a big band. From 1948 he was, for a year, the conductor and arranger of the Hungarian National Radio jazz band. After leaving the Radio, he founded his legendary quintet with György Várady (saxophone), Andor Kovács (guitar), Jenő Kratochwill (bass) and Gyula Kovács (drums). They were often joined by "Bubi" Jenő Beamter (vibraphone) and Ferenc Aszódy (trumpet). They gave many concerts abroad, in West Germany, Poland and – in 1956 – in the Soviet Union. In the '80s he performed with Bubi Beamter, János Orosz and also as a soloist.
For many years he was the director of the Hungarian Ice Review. Between 1940 and 1982 he published several jazz and dance music records in Hungary as well. His album, It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day, was published in West Germany in 1987.
Jazz pianist, composer, a pioneer of Hungarian jazz music, he mainly composed symphonic jazz music for bigger bands.
He started his music studies on violin and piano at the age of 16. He studied both at high school and at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Budapest, where his teachers were Imre Kéri-Szántó (piano) and Antal Molnár (music theory).
After graduating he was a member of the Blue Boys Band. From 1932 he performed with the band of Béla Zöldessy in Kopenhagen, Gdansk, Dortmund and Düsseldorf. In 1934 he became well known on the Hungarian National Radio as a soloist with the Fejes and Damith jazz band.
In 1936 he founded his own group, Smiling Boys, and his members included Jenő Beamter "Bubi" and "Lexi" Rácz. The band, which contained 6 members, played jazz adaptions and swing music. In addition to concerts in Budapest, they also appeared in Basel, Luzern, Lugano and Bern. He made his first jazz recordings with the Radiola Bakelit Factory with a studio band of between 7-15 musicians, including Sándor Horváth, Károly Kurcz, Jenő Beamter and the English singer Anita Best. In the 40s he composed and arranged for symphonic jazz bands. At gala concerts and at recordings with 32 violinists Martiny was the conductor and played the piano solos.
After one year of military service and some time as an American prisoner of war, he came back to Hungary and formed a big band. From 1948 he was, for a year, the conductor and arranger of the Hungarian National Radio jazz band. After leaving the Radio, he founded his legendary quintet with György Várady (saxophone), Andor Kovács (guitar), Jenő Kratochwill (bass) and Gyula Kovács (drums). They were often joined by "Bubi" Jenő Beamter (vibraphone) and Ferenc Aszódy (trumpet). They gave many concerts abroad, in West Germany, Poland and – in 1956 – in the Soviet Union. In the '80s he performed with Bubi Beamter, János Orosz and also as a soloist.
For many years he was the director of the Hungarian Ice Review. Between 1940 and 1982 he published several jazz and dance music records in Hungary as well. His album, It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day, was published in West Germany in 1987.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 |
Gitár-dob párbaj
(Guitar-Drums Battle) |
Hungaroton | HCD 71010 | Jazz History 3. |