The enraptured international discussions about Hungarian guitarist Ferenc Snétberger’s recent album “In Concert” international give rise to astonishment. One would have thought, especially since “For My People” (1999), that he has been considered to be one of the most important, complete and independent guitarists for over at least two decades. However, a debut on the renowned ECM label seems to have concentrated the attention differently. Snétberger, born 1957, has received numerous prizes, studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest from 1977 to 1981, and developed his own extensive tone language through his involvement with Bach, jazz, Flamenco and Brazilian music. It led him far beyond the gypsy jazz genre. The documentation of his solo improvisation “Budapest” on “In Concert” impressively conveys the numerous sources Snétberger has been creatively drawing on for many years. In this respect, a personal circle closes when “In Concert” is now released on a label that once made Egberto Gismonti’s music famous. Enjoy Jazz visitors can let themselves get swept away by Ferenc Snétberger’s art once again, because the guitarist played in duo concert at the side of trumpeter Markus Stockhausen in 2000. So: no surprise but a subtle hint about a great star.
