Tribute to Peter Pallai

Back in 2003 a charismatic man introduced himself to me with what I was later to find out was his characteristically engaging manner and said, “I’m the Jazz Curator for the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London and you need Hungarian Jazz musicians playing here!”.

And so the Anglo-Hungarian Exchange between the 606 Club and Budapest Jazz Club was born.That man was Peter Pallai and his passionate advocacy and unbridled enthusiasm for jazz was unbounded.

Over the ensuing 20+ years I was to discover that he was no ordinary enthusiast.

A survivor of the Hungarian uprising in the mid-1950s he ended up in London where he first was a teacher before becoming a correspondent for the BBC World Service for almost 30 years.

I also discovered that back in Hungary this generous and thoughtful man was enormously respected, both as an award-winning journalist and also, to quote a well-known Hungarian commentator, “a defining figure…[who] worked tirelessly to elevate Hungarian jazz to its rightful place”.Sadly Peter unexpectedly passed away towards the end of last year and so tonight we have gathered together just some of the many UK musicians he championed to celebrate this remarkable man.

The lineup is a veritable who’s who of leading UK musicians, including Liane Carroll-vocals/piano; Art Themen, Iain Ballamy, Julian Siegel, Paul Booth-saxes; Gareth Williams, Matyas Gayer, Tim Lapthorn-piano; Misha Mullov Abbado, Steve Watts, Arnie Somogyi-bass & Winston Clifford, Sophie Alloway-drums.

And from Hungary the wonderful singer Gina Kanizsa.This promises to be a fabulous night of wonderful music in memory of a unique and much missed force of nature! "Liane Carroll...seems in some magical way to be made out of music” The Observer; "Themen, a veteran master" Jazzwise; “Ballamy…A major international voice" The Times; “Seigel...superb musician” UK Jazz News; “Booth…blistering saxist” IndependentPlease note music money collected this evening will be donated to Peter’s lasting legacy The Harmónia Műhely Alapítvány