Laszlo Gardony
{{Short description|Hungarian-American jazz pianist and composer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Laszlo Gardony
| image = Laszlo_Gardony_bw.jpg
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1956
| birth_place = Hungary
| origin =
| genre = Jazz
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = Piano
| years_active = 1980s–present
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|www.lgjazz.com}}
}}
Laszlo Gardony (born 1956) is a Hungarian-born American jazz pianist and composer. Gardony performs as a solo artist and leads his own trio, quartet and sextet. He is also a featured sideman with several other groups.
Biography
Gardony studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, graduating in 1979.{{cite web|title =Laszlo Gardony: Biography |first=Scott|last=Yanow |work=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p6556|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate =2010-09-18}} He also holds a Masters of Education in Mathematics and Physics from Eötvös Loránd University.{{cite web|title =Faculty Biography: Laszlo Gardony |date=January 1985 |publisher=Berklee| url=https://college.berklee.edu/people/laszlo-gardony |accessdate =2015-08-07}}
In 1983 he moved to the United States on a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was the first student in the school's history to be offered a teaching position upon graduation. He has been a full Professor of Piano at Berklee for nearly two decades.
While still a student at Berklee, he formed the group Forward Motion with Tommy Smith, Terje Gewelt and Ian Froman. He soon formed his first trio with Froman and Miroslav Vitous with whom he recorded The Secret{{cite web|title =The Secret: Review |first=Scott|last=Yanow |work=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r139080|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate =2010-09-18}} for Antilles Records. His second album, The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles) featured Dave Holland and Bob Moses.
In 1987, he won first prize at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition. Since 1987 he has been on the faculty at Berklee where he is Professor of Piano.{{cite web|title =Faculty Biography: Laszlo Gardony |date=January 1985 |publisher=Berklee| url=https://college.berklee.edu/people/laszlo-gardony |accessdate =2010-09-18}} In 2023, Gardony was invited to join the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/GRAMMYs as a Voting Member.
Gardony's first album for Sunnyside Records was a critically acclaimed solo piano disc, Changing Standards.{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Changing Standards |first=Scott |last=Yanow |work=All Music Guide /Sunnyside Records| url=http://sunnysiderecords.com/site/release_detail?id=168 |date =August 1990 |accessdate =2010-10-23}} His next album, Breakout (Avenue Jazz Records), was released in 1994 and featured Mick Goodrick on guitar as well as George Jinda (talking drum; udu), Satoshi Takeishi (taiko drums) and Stomu Takeishi (electric bass).{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/breakout-mw0000120435|title = AllMusic|website = AllMusic.com}}
Gardony returned to Sunnyside in 2001 with a trio recording, Behind Open Doors which featured Jamey Haddad and John Lockwood.{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Behind Open Doors |first=Greg|last=Robinson |work=JazzTimes| url=https://jazztimes.com/archives/laszlo-gardony-behind-open-doors/|date =September 2001 |accessdate =2023-01-08}}
Subsequently, Gardony has recorded four albums with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel, his working trio of nine years: Ever Before Ever After (Sunnyside) in 2003, Natural Instinct (Sunnyside) in 2006, Dig Deep (Sunnyside) in 2008 and Signature Time (Sunnyside) in 2011 {{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Ever Before Ever After |first=Harvey|last=Siders |work=JazzTimes| url=https://jazztimes.com/archives/laszlo-gardony-ever-before-ever-after/|date =September 2003 |accessdate =2010-09-18}}{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Natural Instinct |first=Jeff|last=Dayton-Johnson |work=AllAboutJazz| url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22552 |date =July 2006 |accessdate =2011-05-31}}{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Dig Deep |first=Michael P|last=Gladstone |publisher=AllAboutJazz.com| url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dig-deep-laszlo-gardony-sunnyside-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone|date =September 2008 |accessdate =2011-05-31}} Signature Time {{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Signature Time |first=Raul|last=D'Gama Rose |work=All About Jazz| url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/signature-time-laszlo-gardony-sunnyside-records-review-by-raul-dgama-rose|date =2011-06-24 |accessdate =2011-06-25}} also features multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, Stan Strickland on a few tracks as well as drummer Yoron Israel on the vibraphone. His 2013 recording is a solo piano album, Clarity (Sunnyside){{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Clarity |first=Jon |last=Garelick |work=The Boston Globe| url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/04/25/noisy-neighbors-laszlo-gardony-clarity/PsQLZByeGh8LNADwZmJQrO/story.html|date =April 2013 |accessdate =2013-04-25}} In 2015 Gardony released a live sextet album, Life in Real Time (Sunnyside) with Bill Pierce, Don Braden, Stan Strickland, Yoron Israel and John Lockwood. The album was named by the Boston Globe as one of the 10 best jazz albums of 2015 {{cite web|title=The Best Jazz Albums of 2015 |first=Jon |last=Garelick |work=The Boston Globe| url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/12/12/the-best-albums-jon-garelick/165C7BRGF5EavPk91aMsNK/story.html|date =September 12, 2015 |accessdate =2015-07-01}} His 2017 release - also on Sunnyside - is a solo piano disc titled Serious Play{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Serious Play|first=Dan |last=Bilawsky |work=All About Jazz| url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/serious-play-laszlo-gardony-sunnyside-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php?width=2100|date =July 2017 |accessdate =2013-04-25}} In 2019 he released another solo piano album, "La Marseillaise" (Sunnyside). Then in 2022 Gardony recorded a critically acclaimed trio album "Close Connection" (Sunnyside) which was released in December, 2022 {{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony: Close Connection|first=John |last=Garratt |work=Pop Matters| url=https://www.popmatters.com/laszlo-gardony-close-connection-review|date =December 2022 |accessdate =2023-01-05}}
Among other projects, he has also been involved in violinist Matt Glaser's group, The Wayfaring Strangers, a fusion of bluegrass and jazz.{{cite web|title =Wayfaring Strangers: Biography |first=Alex|last=Henderson |work=Allmusic| url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p507556/biography|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate =2010-09-18}}
Gardony has performed with the Wayfaring Strangers at numerous venues and festivals, including Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, with the Utah Symphony in Salt Lake City, and at Merlefest in North Carolina. Gardony has also performed with David "Fathead" Newman at several festivals,{{Cite web |url=http://speakeasy.jazzcorner.com/speakeasy/showthread.php?t=7842 |title=David "Fathead" Newman - Hartford International Jazz Festival - Jazzcorner.com's Speakeasy |access-date=2010-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307173219/http://speakeasy.jazzcorner.com/speakeasy/showthread.php?t=7842 |archive-date=2012-03-07 |url-status=dead }} and with Eddie Gomez's Per Sempre Quintet.{{cite web|title =Eddie Gomez Holds Court in Cambridge |first=Jason |last=M. Rubin |work=ArtsFuse|url=https://artsfuse.org/81186/fuse-news-bassist-eddie-gomez-holds-court-at-the-lilypad-in-cambridge/|date =April 2013 |accessdate =2023-01-08}} Both Randy Brecker and Dave Liebman have performed as guest soloists with Gardony's group.{{cite web|title =Faculty Biography: Laszlo Gardony |date=January 1985 |publisher=Berklee| url=https://college.berklee.edu/people/laszlo-gardony |accessdate =2023-01-08}} Gardony is featured on two Yoron Israel & High Standards albums: Visions – The Music of Stevie Wonder (Ronja, 2012) and This Moment (Ronja, 2015). He is also a featured soloist on New York-based flutist Christian Artmann's 2018 CD, "Our Story" (Sunnyside) {{cite web |url=https://www.sunnysiderecords.com/site/release_detail?id=925 |title=Christian Artmann |last= |first= |website= |publisher=Sunnyside Records |date= |access-date=22 September 2018 |quote=}} and on his 2023 album, "The Middle of Life" (Sunnyside). Gardony's composition, "Meeting You There" was featured on Chihiro Yamanaka's Blue Note album, "Guilty Pleasure" {{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/8831224-Chihiro-Yamanaka-Guilty-Pleasure|title=Chihiro Yamanaka - Guilty Pleasure|date=13 July 2016|accessdate=27 May 2023|via=www.discogs.com}}
Critical reception
Gardony has been praised for his "fluid pianism" in The New York Times{{cite web|title =The Listings: Dec. 15 - Dec. 21 |work=New York Times| url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E3DF1231F936A25751C1A9609C8B63 |date =2006-12-15 |accessdate =2010-09-18}} and for his "uniformly high quality of compositions", harmonic complexity and emotional content which All About Jazz found to be comparable with Bill Evans'.{{cite web|title =CD/LP Review: Natural Instinct |first=Jeff|last=Dayton-Johnson |work=All About Jazz| url =http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22552 |date =2006-07-25 |accessdate =2010-09-18}} The Jazz Review described him as "a pianist worthy of praise within the highest pantheon of performers".{{cite web|title =Featured Artist: Laszlo Gardony |first=Scott|last=Gottschall |work=Jazz Review| url =http://www.lgjazz.com/pages/reviews.html|date =2006-07-25 |accessdate =2010-09-18}} Dave Brubeck called Gardony a "great pianist".{{Cite web|url=http://www.lgjazz.com/pages/quotes.html|title=Laszlo Gardony Jazz | Contemporary Jazz Pianist and Composer | QUOTES|website=www.lgjazz.com|accessdate=27 May 2023}}
Discography
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year recorded
!Title !Label !Personnel |
|---|
| 1988
|The Secret |Trio, with Miroslav Vitous (bass), Ian Froman (drums) |
| 1989
|The Legend of Tsumi |Trio, with Dave Holland (bass), Bob Moses (drums) |
| 1993
|Changing Standards |Solo piano |
| 1994
|Breakout |Avenue |With Mick Goodrick (guitar), Stomu Takeishi (bass), George Jinda and Satoshi Takeishi (drums, percussion) |
| 2001
|Behind Open Doors |Trio, with Jamey Haddad (drums), John Lockwood (bass) |
| 2003
|Ever Before Ever After |Trio, with John Lockwood (bass), Yoron Israel (drums); in concert |
| 2006
|Natural Instinct |Trio, with John Lockwood (bass), Yoron Israel (drums) |
| 2008
|Dig Deep |Trio, with John Lockwood (bass), Yoron Israel (drums) |
| 2011
|Signature Time |Quartet, with John Lockwood (bass), Yoron Israel (drums, vibraharp), Stan Strickland (tenor sax, vocals) |
| 2013
|Clarity |Solo piano |
| 2015
|Life in Real Time |Sextet, with Stan Strickland, Don Braden and Billy Pierce (sax), John Lockwood (bass), Yoron Israel (drums) |
| 2017
|Serious Play |Solo piano |
| 2019
|La Marseillaise |Solo piano |
| 2022
|Close Connection |Trio with John Lockwood and Yoron Israel |
Sources:{{cite web|title=Laszlo Gardony {{!}} Album Discography {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/laszlo-gardony-mn0000783270/discography|website=AllMusic|accessdate=28 August 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://sunnysiderecords.com/site/artist?id=122 |title=Laszlo Gardony |last= |first= |website= |publisher=Sunnyside Records |date= |access-date=22 September 2018 |quote=}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lgjazz.com/ Official website]
- [http://www.berklee.edu/people/laszlo-gardony Berklee College of Music Faculty page]
- [http://www.creativeground.org/profile/laszlo-gardony-trio-quartet CreativeGround]
- [https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/laszlo-gardony?fbclid=IwAR3UqdqoP0VZqICcyai0ZzJ-kNCwQvOH3Ybloa3_x70k21d3Zk0i6DO2uSk All About Jazz Musician Page]
- [http://www.sunnysiderecords.com/site/artist?id=122 Sunnyside Records artist profile]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardony, Laszlo}}
Category:Berklee College of Music alumni
Category:Berklee College of Music faculty
Category:American jazz pianists
Category:American male jazz pianists
Category:21st-century American pianists
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:Sunnyside Records artists