Kálmán Balogh

The musical traditions of Central and Eastern Europe are brought up to date by jazz-influenced cimbalom player Kálmán Balogh. Accompanied by his band Gypsy Jazz -- featuring trumpet player Ferenc Kovács, violinists Sandor Budai and Laszlo Major, and double bass player Csaba Novak -- Balogh creates a musical tapestry of improvisation and virtuosity. According to Songlines, Balogh "has a fantastic technique which sends his hands skating lightly across the strings or beating out relentless rhythms." A similar view was expressed by www.greenmanreview.com, which stated, "[W]hen Balogh isn't maddeningly pushing the speed limit of his dulcimer mallets, he's in the background providing constant staccato rhythm and counterpoint." Descended from a long line of famous Hungarian Gypsy musicians, Balogh is a graduate of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. ~ Craig Harris