George in Our Minds (Live) Tony Lakatos

• 1 Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief (Live) 06:37
• 2 I Get Along Without You Very Well (Live) 07:50
• 3 Georgia on My Mind (Live) 08:50
• 4 Played Twice (Live) 08:05
• 5 The Nearness of You (Live) 08:18
• 6 Double Reality (Live) 08:08
• 7 Stardust (Live) 07:20
• 8 Vintage (Live) 10:02
• Total Runtime 01:05:10

Info for George in Our Minds (Live)

Tony Lakatos has been considered a profound, original and bustling voice of the jazz scene for almost half a century. In addition to countless recordings as a sideman, the Frankfurter has also recorded a total of seven albums under his own name for SKIP Records, which deal with his roots ("Gypsy Colours" and "Gypsy Tenors") on the one hand, but also with his great American role models. Together with Kevin Mahogany, he paid homage to John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, paid tribute to George Gershwin on the big band album "Porgy And Bess" when he took over the lead vocals for the ill Michael Brecker at short notice during the recordings, swept through classics by Sonny Rollins, Cole Porter or Bill Evans on "Standard Time" and dedicated an entire album to the great Hoagy Carmichael with "I Get Along With You". Among his co-players at the time of the recordings in Brooklyn were drummer Adam Nussbaum and bassist legend George Mraz.

Recordings from the following tour for this album can now be heard – more than twenty years later – in a rousing recording from Trencin in Slovakia. Saxophone icon Joe Lovano writes in his liner notes to the album: "This inspired live concert is a joyeus celebration of Love & Music. You feel as though you are in the room with them (Lakatos, Nussbaum and Mraz ) exploring each others spontaneous interpretations of some rarely heard material." In addition to five Hoagy Carmichael classics and two Tony Lakatos Originals, you can also enjoy a composition by Thelonius Monk with "Played Twice". The trio moves sometimes breakneck and courageous, sometimes poetic and pensive through this rarely played material.

The title "George In Our Minds" is a tribute to bassist George Mraz, who died in Prague in 2021, of whom Joe Lovano writes: „A heartfelt message in reference to the magnificent Goerge Mraz whose creative contributions through the years will inspire for generations. George was full of ideas that fueled every setting he was part of. His lyrical bass line was magical and full of beauty.

A contemporary document of jazz that once again impressively demonstrates the outstanding role of the protagonists in jazz.

"When listening to George in Our Minds, one can easily forget that two members of this trio (Lakatos and Mraz) were born and did their early musical training in Europe. But working with so many great American musicians clearly had a greater impact on them as players, certainly as far as this recording is concerned. Mraz and Nussbaum’s credentials are probably well established to our readers, but Tony Lakatos may not be as familiar. This recording is a strong reminder that he is one of the great saxophonists of his generation, on a par as a player with someone like Joe Lovano (who, incidentally, contributed the album’s liner notes). Anyone not familiar with him will doubtless find it a rewarding experience to change that." (Charlie Rees, ukjazznews.com)

Tony Lakatos, tenor saxophone
George Mraz, double bass
Adam Nussbaum, drums

Tony Lakatos
He hails from the Lakatos dynasty—a family of renowned violinists that includes János Bihari among its ancestors—and thus began his musical training with violin lessons. At the age of seventeen, he switched to the saxophone; while studying at the Bartók Conservatory, he began performing with his own groups. He recorded his first album in Athens in 1979; from 1980 onwards, he performed in Germany—notably in Toto Blanke’s band, but also with Chris Beier and Milan Svoboda. In 1993, he became a member of the hr-Bigband; around 2008, he recorded a double album with the ensemble as a soloist, featuring new arrangements of *Porgy and Bess*. Alongside his work with the big band, he continued to perform with his own groups, collaborating with artists such as Randy Brecker, Joanne Brackeen, and Dick de Graaf (as co-leaders), as well as George Mraz and Al Foster. He also released the album *Let’s Get Lost* alongside fellow hr-Bigband soloists (Heinz-Dieter Sauerborn, Axel Schlosser, and Günter Bollmann) and the rhythm section of the Mingus Big Band.[1] Furthermore, he has played with Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer, Chris Hinze, Kirk Lightsey, Joachim Kühn, Chris Beckers, Roberto Magris, and Jasper van’t Hof. He has also contributed to recordings by Philippe Caillat, Kitty Winter, Michael Sagmeister, Özay Fecht, and Dusko Goykovich.

The saxophonist possesses a radiant tone with a solid upper register and is considered—according to Martin Kunzler—an outstanding interpreter of ballads. As of 2009, he had participated in the recording of more than 280 LPs and CDs. He is the first Hungarian musician to have albums reach the Gavin Report Top Ten on American jazz radio stations (*Recycling*, 1993; *The News*).

This album contains no booklet.