Eszter Váczi 

Eszter Váczi received her initial musical training at Kodály Zoltán Primary School of Music, Budapest, where as well as having her daily singing classes, she was taught to play classical piano for seven years. She also sang in the school’s choir, one of the best in Hungary. Her grammar school years saw her develop a lifelong attraction to jazz, which finally made her follow a path leading directly to Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, to major in jazz singing. She graduated as an artist and teacher in 2001. Only a year into her study at the Academy, she was selected for Jazz+Az, a short-lived but highly successful rap vocal group led by László Dés and Péter Geszti, which gave her several opportunities to appear on stage with a number of accomplished musicians of the Hungarian jazz scene. It was still during her academic years that she met the musicians that were later to become her collaborators making invaluable contributions to the formation of  her two main bands: The Váczi Eszter Quartet and Váczi Eszter és a Szörp, respectively. After the Quartet released the first album containing their own compositions and creating thereby a style of their own, she let regular collaboration with Szörp as well as other former groups lapse. Although as a guest star she is ready to perform at musicians or bands’ request, she chooses to sing full-time in her own band.

The Quartet was first formed in 2002. For several years afterwards, their repertoire was made up of evergreen jazz standards with traditional arrangements. However, they gradually discovered their unique sound  and as a result, in 2009, the band brought out an album entirely of their own music, which reached platinum selling status in only two and a half years — a rarity in the jazz category in Hungary. The band’s first album entitled Vissza hozzád (Back to You) was followed in 2011 by their second record Eszter kertje (Esther’s Garden), which consolidated their unmistakably unique sound. With the guitarist Zoltán Schneider joining them during the course of recording their latest album, the band expanded to five permanent members, therefore their name was changed to Váczi Eszter és a Quartet (Váczi Eszter and the Quartet). Both of the band’s albums were nominated for The Fonogram Hungary Music Award, in the category of best jazz album of the year.

The members of Váczi Eszter és a Quartet:

István Gátos — piano

Zoltán Schneider — guitar

Bálint Gátos — bass

Zsolt Mike — drums

Eszter Váczi — vocals

For more details go to www.vaczieszterquartet.hu

Nowadays most of the singer’s working time is taken up with making preparations for the third album as well as composing for the band and rehearsals or concerts. However, it is among her plans to explore a different spectrum of music. … To be continued.