Hungarian MARTINY RHYTHM BAND swing 78 Radiola 1941

$ 28

$ 28 Sold For

Sep 14, 2011 Sold Date

Sep 7, 2011 Start Date

$ 17 Start price

3 Number Of Bids

Italy Country Of Seller

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Description

I M P O R T A N T !

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LAJOS MARTINY

Lajos Martiny was born on June 11, 1912 and from 1932 was a member of violinist Béla Zöldessy's 6-piece star band in Copenhagen, Danzig (now Gdansk), Dortmund and Düsseldorf. The six musicians used some two dozen instruments. Arrangements were written by Martiny. February 9, 1934 was a day of major importance in the young pianist's life. As a soloist of the the very popular Fejes-Damith Jazzband, Lajos Martiny was introduced to the listeners of the Hungarian Radio for the first time. In the program broadcasted from the Café "Ostende" he played a piano solo of George Gershwin's "The Man I Love".

Martiny formed his new own band, the "Smiling Boys" in 1936. His drummer was "Bubi" Beamter, and one of the famous violinists of that period, Lexi Rácz, too played in the band. The latter played not only violin but saxophone and trombone as well. The 6-piece combo, which used to change many instruments while playing performed jazz arrangements and a lively, really swinging hot dance music. On a tour through Switzerland that band came to Lugano and Bern. After their return to Budapest they were playing at the Hotel Royal, which that time was one of the most important places besides the Hotel Gellért and the New York Café, where the well-known Hungarian and foreign bands playing jazz-like dance music and jazz used to appear.

Lajos Martiny's first jazz recordings were made by the Radiola Gramophone Company in Budapest. In his studio band he had 7-15 musicians, among them drummer Jen? "Bubi" Beamter, bassist/singer Károly Kurcz and Sándor Horváth called "Nagy Patkány" ("Big Rat"), who by the way, is the uncle of Lajos Kathy-Horváth, the excellent and modern violinist. Girl-Singer of the combo was Miss Anita Best, a vocalist from Great Britain, who had an engagement with the Martiny band for long years. They recorded such well-known jazz standards like "Solitude", "Blue Skies" and "Begin The Beguine". A special recording was "Mama Don't Allow" when Anita Best introduced the instruments of the band one by one.

In the forties Martiny's old dreams came true: he was lucky to write compositions and arrangements for a symphony jazz orchestra. The orchestra, backed up by Siemens/Polydor, made many dozens of recordings in the occasional studios formed in the Erkel Theatre of today. When the recordings were released, a big gala concert was given by the participating artists. The concert orchestra, a big band augmented by 32 strings, was conducted by Martiny, as well as the piano solos, similarly to the recordings, were played by him. Military service followed by US captivity kept Lajos Martiny far from Hungarian music life for a year. Back home again he immediately gathered a big band and made sensational recordings for the Odeon representation in Budapest. The recordings of his sextet ("Avalon", "Sing Sing", "Skála" etc.) found favourable response among professional circles and jazz friends.

In 1948 Martiny became the arranger-Conductor of the radio jazz-orchestra organized by Sándor Pál for a one-year-period. This year meant the highlight in the career of the band.

When he left the radio orchestra, Martiny formed his legendary quintet with György Várady, saxophone, clarinet and voval, Andor Kovács, guitar and violin,, Jen? Kratochwill, bass and Gyula Kovács, drums. As special guests "bubi" Beamter sang and played the vibraphone, and Ferenc Aszódy played the trumpet. For one and half decades the Hotel Gellért had been haunt of the band. From there they departed to their inland and foreign tours, among others to the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, and to the memorable tour to the Soviet Union in 1956. There they got acquainted with Laci Oláh of Hungarian origin, one of the best-known Soviet jazz band leaders. Radio Moscow made modern jazz recordings with the quintet for its English language program broadcasting them regularly for a long time.

This excellent quintet unfortunately made only a limited number of recordings. (We should not forget that playing jazz was generally prohibited in Hungary in those years. It was possible only in certain special played of entertainment.) The 1957 "Air Mail Special" was one of the first Hungarian microgroove recordings. "Perzs vásár" ("On A Persian Market") recorded in 1960, is a milestone in the history of Hungarian jazz. That time Martiny was not only the pianist but also played the organ and harpsichord. Besides, the combo was augmented by some flutes. On this occasion Gyula Kovács proved to be a first-class drummer, whereas the tenor-sax solo of György Várady is rather strange if not even mysterious: more than one and a half decade earlier he sounded just like the young David Murray in the mid-seventies.

In the following two and a half decades only a few recordings made by Martiny for record labels and in broadcasts. The majority of these recordings was symphonic light music of high quality. In the last years of his life Martiny worked for the Hungarian Television on jazz-like tunes. Memorable were his concerts in the eighties with the reorganized Martiny-Beamter combo. After the death of Jen? "Bubi" Beamter he gave solo concerts for two pianos. His partner was János Orosz.

SWING MUSIC FROM HUNGARY ! MARTINY RHYTHM BAND

1334 I can't love you anymore (fox trot) 3

alto sax, trombone, clarinet SOLOS

1333 Where was I ? (waltz) 3

78 Radiola RN-2054 (HUN)

Budapest, probably 1941

78s GRADING CODE

Grading is VISUAL, under a bright light. My code ,in red includes only general wear (Greying, surface wear) and light scratches. All other damages are especially indicated and are not part of the grading below (corresponding to VJM codein yellow).

1 = M (Mint): never played on gramophone /phonograph but is not used in my 78s auctions.

1-2 = NM (Near Mint): top copy, no traces of use, virtually as new.

2 = E+ (Excellent plus): exellent copy, a few light, non-sounding rubs/marks

2-3 = E (Excellent): light traces of wear (rubs/marks), very light greying and/or very light scratches.

3 = E- (excellent minus): a good average copy with more noticeable rubs and , marks, light greying, scratches possible.

3-4 = V+ (very Good plus): more traces of use, sonic wear from light greying. a minor average copy, scratches possible.

4 = V (very Good): some sounding wear with little distorsion, heavy rubs and marks , scratches possible.

5 = V - (very Good minus): obvious sounding wear with distorsion , heavy rubs, marks, scratches, sealed cracks. an unsatisfactory copy for documentary purposes.

Sometime a + or - after the grading number accentuate my personal valuation of the expressed grading, enhancing an expected better or worse aural playing.

DISCOMANE will guarantee an absolute conservative record grading !

Bid with confidence !

PAYMENTS

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INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

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SHIPPING FROM ITALY

(all prices for packets up to to 2 kg, for bigger parcels and quantities, please ask for quotes)

1 -2 78’s (10”)

3 -5 78’s (10”)

> 6 78’s (10”)

ITALY

Postacelere 1 Plus (con ricevuta, fino a 3 kg, 2 giorni) EURO

$ 17

Pacco Celere 3 (con ricevuta, fino a 30 kg) EURO

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EUROPE

Airmail International First Class (no receipt) US $