Brad Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) Earlier this week Jazz Wax posted an article about Elek Bacsik, who was a Hungarian Gypsy jazz guitarist who is not well known today. He was the cousin of Django Reinhardt. See Elek Bacsik Elek Bacsik Videos Some of his stuff is pretty interesting, especially All Things You Are with Serge Gainsbourg. Edited April 20, 2018 by Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quasimado Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 The Bird and Diz tribute on Flying Dutchman (1975) has 2 fine solos from Warne Marsh (Moose the Mooch & Groovin High). The electric bass is unfortunate. Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) His name is somewhat familiar among Europeans interested in jazz of that period. Two years ago I came across an original EP from his "The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik" LP at a French fleamarket and found it very interesting listening but a bit hard to pin down on what he set out to do, particularly since the comparison with the recordings of Django Reinhardt is inevitable. Then, the other day I noticed a detailed review of this LP in the French "Jazz Magazine" (December 1962 issue) that may explain the impact it had on first-time listeners. The reviewers found him very promising and hoped for greater things in the future but perceived this initial LP (done at a late age of 36 years) as indulging in way too much ornamentation and florid, decorative effects . Apart from a very successful Opus De Funk they found the remaining nine tenths of his record rather to be bound to please fans of virtuosity and esthetic preciousness but not as something to establish him as breaking new ground among contemporary guitarists. They also saw him anxious to work his way out of the shadow of Django (whose influence he allegedly refused to acknowledge, though it seemed to weigh more heavily on him than that of his admitted influences Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery). (End of paraphrased quotations) As for Bacsik being a cousin of Django, widespread family clan ties notwithstanding, what's up there? The French and German Wikipedia entries (contrary the the English one) do not mention anything like this (the French ought to have known anyway), and the Jazz Magazine reviewers refer to Bacsik as a "remote brother by race" of Django only. Maybe his late start and (at that time) lack of orientation perceived by the reviewers also were a reflection of his personality at the time? Early in the 50s he had appeared with the Italian group led by Renato Carosone but was relatively soon let go on account of his "lack of reliability" - long before the group had its major chart successes, contrary to what the Wiki entries seem to imply. Edited April 20, 2018 by Big Beat Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Quasimado said: The Bird and Diz tribute on Flying Dutchman (1975) has 2 fine solos from Warne Marsh (Moose the Mooch & Groovin High). The electric bass is unfortunate. Q That's the one I have, and I keep it for Warne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted April 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 4 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said: His name is somewhat familiar among Europeans interested in jazz of that period. Two years ago I came across an original EP from his "The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik" LP at a French fleamarket and found it very interesting listening but a bit hard to pin down on what he set out to do, particularly since the comparison with the recordings of Django Reinhardt is inevitable. Then, the other day I noticed a detailed review of this LP in the French "Jazz Magazine" (December 1962 issue) that may explain the impact it had on first-time listeners. The reviewers found him very promising and hoped for greater things in the future but perceived this initial LP (done at a late age of 36 years) as indulging in way too much ornamentation and florid, decorative effects . Apart from a very successful Opus De Funk they found the remaining nine tenths of his record rather to be bound to please fans of virtuosity and esthetic preciousness but not as something to establish him as breaking new ground among contemporary guitarists. They also saw him anxious to work his way out of the shadow of Django (whose influence he allegedly refused to acknowledge, though it seemed to weigh more heavily on him than that of his admitted influences Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery). (End of paraphrased quotations) As for Bacsik being a cousin of Django, widespread family clan ties notwithstanding, what's up there? The French and German Wikipedia entries (contrary the the English one) do not mention anything like this (the French ought to have known anyway), and the Jazz Magazine reviewers refer to Bacsik as a "remote brother by race" of Django only. Maybe his late start and (at that time) lack of orientation perceived by the reviewers also were a reflection of his personality at the time? Early in the 50s he had appeared with the Italian group led by Renato Carosone but was relatively soon let go on account of his "lack of reliability" - long before the group had its major chart successes, contrary to what the Wiki entries seem to imply. Thanks for the original information. Too bad he didn't progress farther musically. I found the Serge Gainsbourg videos interesting. I had vaguely heard of him but never heard of him. I will want to investigate him a little further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted April 20, 2018 Report Share Posted April 20, 2018 Had the CD version of his first LP on Fontana, but it didn't impress me too much, despite great rhythm sections. He had his own style and all, just not my taste. https://www.discogs.com/Elek-Bacsik-The-Electric-Guitar-Of-The-Eclectic-Elek-Bacsik/release/2511228 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted April 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 I wonder how the Jazz in Paris CDs are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) I recently got the Jazz Guitarist: Elek Bacsik LP on Philips, PHS 600-079. Never knew of this guy but I'd seen him on those Serge videos. Kenny Clarke is on drums, but I don't see any other musician credits on my copy. Edited February 3, 2019 by Teasing the Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Your LP is the US release of the Fontana LP discussed earlier in this thread. See here: https://www.discogs.com/Elek-Bacsik-Jazz-Guitarist-Elek-Bacsik/release/10985479 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 12 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said: Your LP is the US release of the Fontana LP discussed earlier in this thread. See here: https://www.discogs.com/Elek-Bacsik-Jazz-Guitarist-Elek-Bacsik/release/10985479 Thanks. Totally digging it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 I have this one. It is a nice one with all European musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 So who plays on that Philips/Fontana album other than Kenny Clarke? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 19 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said: So who plays on that Philips/Fontana album other than Kenny Clarke? The discogs link I provided you with tells it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 36 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said: The discogs link I provided you with tells it all. So EB overdubbed the other guitar parts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Bruyninckx just lists Bacsik on guitar, nobody else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesnik Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 On 20/04/2018 at 9:12 AM, Big Beat Steve said: His name is somewhat familiar among Europeans interested in jazz of that period. 4 hours ago, Peter Friedman said: I have this one. It is a nice one with all European musicians. I also have it. And I would add to those not familiar with the JiP releases that they are very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 3 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said: Bruyninckx just lists Bacsik on guitar, nobody else. So he must have overdubbed then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 I'd forgotten that he plays on those two great Dizzy LPs on Philips, with Lalo Schifrin. Love those records, mixing jazz, bossa, and Eastern-tinged grooves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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