Sounds of Diversity is the ninth record of the multi-award winning Elemér Balázs Group. Its title refers to the fact that the highly melodic original compositions fuse the members’ distinctive musical worlds in special ways, with results that appeal to a wide audience.

Pat Metheny says “In my opinion Elemér is one of the best drummers today. He plays with incomparable musicality and fineness. He is able to listen to every single musical moment with such attention, he is able to make such fine and spontaneous decisions on stage, that only encourages the quality of the play of the other musicians. He reaches out of his instrument with great taste. I always play with him with joy and so do I listen to his music.”

The Elemér Balázs Group, one of the most popular jazz bands in Hungary, was founded in 2000 by Elemér Balázs, a jazz drummer of international reputation. The band, consisting of highly qualified jazz musicians, has achieved great results at home (e.g. Fonogram Prize in 2005), and has built upon its success through impressive performances at prestigious European jazz festivals (e.g. Vienna, London, Berlin, The Hague, Prague, Bratislava, Skopje).

The Group has created a strikingly unique melodious sound underscored by interesting rhythmic patterns, and given a fascinating texture by the tonal contrast of the male and female lead-vocals. Their music is extremely versatile owing to their spirited blending of jazz and the folk-music of the region. It’s ethno-jazz at its best, inspired by highly divergent musical cultures. This variety characterizes the four albums released by the Group so far. Each of these albums creates a completely unique atmosphere, a musical world of its own. According to critics the music of the Elemér Balázs Group is something one can enjoy in any mood or situation.

Elemér Balázs Group
Elemér Balázs, Drums
József Balázs, Keyboards
Áron Komjáti, Guitar
Krisztián Lakatos Pecek, Double Bass
József Czibere, Percussion
Flóra Kiss, Vocals
Milán Szakonyi, Vocals