From an early age saxophonist Fraser Smith was drawn to the music of the golden age of swing jazz, from Kansas City in the 30’s to New York in the 60’s and for going on two decades now he has built a significant reputation on the UK scene, with his latest album “Lifeline!” being added to both the Times and Jazzwise’s 'Best Jazz Albums of 2025' lists. Continuing our long association with the Budapest Jazz Club Fraser’s Special Guest this evening, coming from Hungary just for this gig, is the terrific trumpet player Kornel Fekete-Kovacs. One-time leader of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra and presently heading the Modern Art Orchestra trumpeter, composer, arranger, conductor and educationalist Kornel Fekete-Kovacs is widely regarded as one of Hungary’s great modern jazz musicians. With international artists including Dave Liebman, Peter Erskine, Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, and Wallace Roney singing his praises he has a career that spans major collaborations, acclaimed compositions and influential ensemble work. Voted at various times Trumpeter, Composer, and Arranger of the Year by the influential jazz magazine Jazz.hu he stands as a central figure in contemporary Hungarian jazz, shaping its sound both on stage and through his extensive compositional and teaching output. Tonight Fraser and Kornel will be Celebrating the early Miles Davis years with the classic Miles quintet lineup featuring music from Miles’ output of the 50’s and 60’s. Not to be missed.

"Smith...Nonchalantly confident and very hard swinging" London Jazz News; “Fekete-Kovács… dazzling” Jazz Halo