Klára Hajdu Quartet
“…the way the Klára Hajdu Quartet plays is really special to me because it brings back a
style that’s nearly forgotten today – one where the melody is still there, but the whole thing
feels totally modern and even swings.”
/Jazzma.hu – Attila Márton/
The Hajdu Klára Quartet has been a recognized name in the jazz scene for 17 years. They’ve released four albums so far, all of which have been warmly received by both critics and audiences, with two of them even earning Fonogram nominations. Their music is played on Hungarian jazz channels, as well as on radio stations across Europe and even Mexico, and their albums are streamed in over 30 countries. All their releases can be found on the shelves of record stores in Japan.
In 2013, the Quartet released their first full-length album, Come with Me, where Klára also made her debut as a songwriter. The album features mostly contemporary jazz pieces, along with some pop, jazz standards, and folk music covers. Their second album, Plays Standards Dedicated to Chet Baker (2015), which featured guest appearances by Kornél Fekete-Kovács, was nominated for a Fonogram Award in the "Jazz Album of the Year" category in early 2017.
During the pandemic, Klára wrote new songs and lyrics, leading to the recording of their third album, Journey (2020). Soon after its release, the album was picked up by a Japanese label, making it available to fans there. A few months later, Journey also earned a Fonogram nomination for "Domestic Jazz Album of the Year."
The music video for the song Ígéret (Promise) from this album was selected for the Hungarian Music Video Festival, making it one of the very few jazz acts to be featured. In the spring of 2022, the Quartet released their album Fúvom az énekem, where Klára’s favorite Hungarian folk songs are given their signature Quartet treatment. Thearrangements were made based on Klára’s ideas, with help from her partner, Milán
Szakonyi, and pianist Gábor Cseke. The guest musician on the album was Mihály Borbély, the Kossuth and Liszt Prize-winning clarinetist and saxophonist.
In the spring of 2023, the band celebrated their 15th anniversary at Müpa with a fantastic lineup of special guests: Mihály Borbély on wind instruments, Kornél Fekete-Kovács on trumpet, and Milán Szakonyi, who joined them with his unique voice and guitar. Currently, the Quartet is working on their latest album, where Milán will join them not only as a co-writer but also as a guitarist and vocalist.
Klára Hajdu – vocals
Gábor Cseke – piano
Márton Soós – double bass
Ambrus Richter – drums