Mihály Dresch is a Hungarian saxophone player, and one of the most interesting jazz and folk musicians on the current Budapest scene. Specifically his merger of the American free-jazz tradition with elements of traditional Hungarian folk has led to inspired, unexpected pieces of modern music. (see also: Music of Hungary

Music of Hungary

Hungary has made many contributions to the fields of folk, popular and classical music. Hungarian folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and continues to play a major part in Hungarian music...

)

Dresch was studying to become an engineer when he turned to jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

. He was a member of the Károly Binder

Károly Binder

Károly Binder is a great Hungarian jazz pianist and composer. He is the head of the jazz department at the Music Teachers Training Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest...

 Quartet. In his first quartet as leader, founded in 1984, the legacy of John Coltrane

John Coltrane

John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...

's music can be recognized as one of the main sources of inspiration. The recent lineup (István Baló - drums, Ferenc Kovács - violin, Miklós Lukács - dulcimer, Mátyás Szandai - double bass) has existed since 1998. Over the years Dresch and his musicians have played and recorded with such artists as John Tchicai

John Tchicai

John Martin Tchicai is a Danish jazz saxophonist. He was one of the earliest European free jazz musicians. He is of Danish and Congolese descent....

, Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...

, Roscoe Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past...

, Chico Freeman

Chico Freeman

Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman...

, David Murray

David Murray (jazz musician)

David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...

, Hamid Drake

Hamid Drake

Hamid Drake is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. He lives in Chicago, IL but spends much of his time traveling around the world for concerts and studio dates....

 and Dewey Redman

Dewey Redman

Dewey Redman was an American jazz saxophonist, known for performing free jazz as a bandleader, and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett....

. The project with Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp

Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...

 led to the Hungarian Bebop recording of 2002, on which Shepp plays Dresch's original material. Dresch has performed at jazz festivals worldwide, including the London Jazz Festival.

In addition to his work as a leader, Dresch is a permanent member of György Szabados

György Szabados

György Szabados was a Hungarian jazz pianist, and is sometimes referred to as the "father" or "unofficial king" of the Hungarian free jazz movement since the 1960s.- Biography :Szabados was born in Budapest...

's band, the MAKUZ Ensemble. Szabados is generally considered to be the leading light of the free music movement in Hungary.

Awards

'Straight Music' ('Egyenes zene') was awarded 'Hungarian jazz album of the year, 2004' by Magazine Gramofon.

'Live Reed' (Élő nád') was awarded 'Jazz album of the Year 2006' by Magazine Gramofon.

Dresch was named 'Hungarian Jazz Musician of the Year' in 2005.

Discography

• 1985 Dresch Quartet: Sóhajkeserű (Bem rakpart, Budapest, 1985. május 3.) Hungaroton Jazz Studium No. 3 (MC)
• 1985 Kvartet Drech - Peti Jubilarni Internacionalni Susret Dzez Muzicara "Naissus Jazz '85" Magánkiadás LPD-20001244
• 1987 Dresch Mihály: Hazafelé Magánkiadás Jazz Studium No. 6. (MC)
• 1989 Dresch Quartet: Sóhajkeserű (10. Kölni Jazzhaus Fesztivál, 1988. április 2.) Hungaroton
• 1990 Dresch Mihály Quartet: Gondolatok a régiekről Adyton 002
• 1993 Dresch Dudás Mihály Quartet: Zeng a lélek Adyton 006
• 1995 Dresch Dudás Mihály Quartett: Folyondár Adyton 007
• 1996 Dresch Quartet: Túl a vizen Fonó Records FA-013-2
• 1997 Dresch Dudás Mihály: Hűs-ég Fonó Records FA-025-2 Own
• 1998 Dresch Dudás Mihály Quartet: Révészem, révészem... Fonó Records FA-037-2
• 2000 Dresch Quartet: Riding the Wind (Dresch Quartet: Mozdulatlan Utazás) November Music FA-084-2
• 2001 Mihály Dresch: Quiet As It Is (Dresch Mihály: Szép csendesen) BMC Records BMC CD 055
• 2002 Dresch Mihály Quartet/Archie Shepp: Hungarian Bebop BMC Records BMC CD 066
• 2004 Dresch Quartet: Straight Music (Dresch Quartet: Egyenes zene) BMC Records BMC CD 093
• 2006 Dresch Quartet: Live Reed (Dresch Quartet: Élő nád) X-Production 025 XP
• 2007 Dresch Mihály Quartet: Árgyélus BMC Records BMC CD 131
• 2009 Dresch Quartet: Ritka madár X-Production 037 XP
• 2010 Mihály Dresch, Lafayette Gilchrist, Mátyás Szanday, Hamid Drake
  Hamid Drake
  Hamid Drake is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. He lives in Chicago, IL but spends much of his time traveling around the world for concerts and studio dates....
  
  : Sharing the Shed BMC Records BMC CD 174