On My Favorite Stings, pianist Gabor Varga and the Gabor Varga Jazz Quartet with Guest Vocalists Gabriel Farkas and Helga Riedl bring us a musical tribute to the music of Sting.

This is Varga’s 7th DSD release at NativeDSD. It is a real treat recorded Live to Stereo Pure DSD 256!

Pianist Gabor Varga tells us “As girls became more and more interesting, I started enjoying calmer, more melodic and quieter music. Of course, at home jazz was ever present. The musical trend of the early years continued similarly. I listened to more Queen and Sting. I felt the power they radiated, but now I understood the feelings behind them too. Of course, I didn’t understand the lyrics, but the arch of their melodies, their musicality was much better shaped, more lyrical, and sensual than the rock music before them.

In retrospect, I have to say that it was a straight road that led me to the music of Sting in my teens. As a Holy Grail, it had everything: I could hear the harder, punk-like riffs, the infinitely simplified, catchy melody and the jazz in it, thanks to Branford Marsalis. I didn’t know the music of Police too well, apart from one or two hits. I was much more familiar with the solo career of Sting, which is normal for my generation. And now, let’s fast-forward almost 20 years. After over a dozen published albums, almost all of which were jazz albums of a range of styles, I started to get a feel of what kind of jazz it is that I not only enjoy playing, but I also like to listen to.”

Gabor Varga Jazz Quartet
Gabor Varga – Steinway & Sons Model D Grand Piano, Boganyi Piano B-292 Grand (Track 7)
Tibor Csuhaj-Barna – Double Bass
Gyorgy Jeszenszky – Drums
Richard Szaniszlo – Vibraphone

Guest Vocalists
Gabriel Farkas – Vocals (Tracks 1,3,5,7,8)
Helga Riedl – Vocals (Tracks 4,6)