Embassy News

American Corner in Eger Hosts Jazz Ensemble to Celebrate Black History Month

The Improvisions quartet in the chapel of Eszterházy College

Improvisions, an American jazz quartet celebrated Black History Month with a concert hosted by the American Corner on February 19, 2008. The group played jazz tunes in the spectacular chapel of Eszterházy College, which was packed with an audience of 150 people. The quartet's colorful style included old jazz standards such as "Body and Soul," "I've Never Been In Love Before," and "Have You Met Miss Jones?" as well as improvisations on tunes by Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans. The quartet also featured original tunes written by saxophonist John McKenna and pianist Michael Arnowitt. 

The name of the group, Arnowitt says, "is meant to evoke how a jazz group, while improvising, takes the listeners on interesting explorations to musical lands of new sounds. Our instruments take our visions, which begin internally in our bodies, and transform them into physical sounds, projecting them through the air for all to hear."

The quartet is on a European tour performing in clubs, cafés and concert halls in Hungary, the Czech Republic and France.