Tony Lakatos
Biography Tony Lakatos
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*).
