Album Notes

Bio

Mizar is a jazz-pop trio that plays a capturing, progressive blend of jazz, eighties’ pop, funk and world music. While the overall feel of their compositions is expected to sound familiar to listeners worldwide, being a Budapest, Hungary-based band they undoubtedly tap into the rich musical heritage of Central Europe which renders a unique touch to their recordings. Their international debut album, Natural Design showcases the impressive composing and playing skills of these fine young musicians.

Although all band members are still in their late twenties / early thirties, they already have an impressive musical background and each of them boasts remarkably diverse artistic credits. Singer / songwriter / keyboarder Fanni Sárközy plays with a number of local jazz and pop acts and teaches classical piano at a jazz college in Budapest. Drummer Gábor Pusztai tours virtually all over the world on a regular basis as percussionist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, an internationally renowned symphony ensemble and guitarist Péter Schneider also works as a graphic designer and program editor for a local TV station.

Still, for all three of them, Mizar is the act where they can "let their hair down" and seek artistic fulfillment without compromises. Drummer Gábor Pusztai puts it as follows: "I am convinced that Mizar can create music that has spiritual depth while being honest, understandable and diverse – in other words, valuable."

Mizar started out in 2002 and soon gained recognition in the local music scene with their musically sophisticated, enjoyable compositions that walk a fine line between jazz and pop. By the time they released their first album in 2007, the band wrote and played music for two films and picked up 18 prizes at eight music competitions. The latest of these was the first prize of a song contest organized by Hungary’s leading smooth jazz / lounge radio station, 90.9 Jazzy in 2007. The prize opened many doors for Mizar and put their music in regular / heavy rotation at multiple Hungarian radio stations. They got access to the best recording studio in the country (which also does recording work for the BBC), worked with one of the finest recording engineers and got signed by local indie label Beagle Beat Records to release their second album.

Following the March 2009 release in Hungary, Mizar’s new album, Natural Design earned highly positive reviews from the local online music media. Renowned jazz guitarist / composer / jazz educator Attila László described the material as "Enchantingly beautiful music that alternates between journeys to angelic spheres and enriching earthly places too". The album features nine vocal tracks and an instrumental one, jumping back and forth between the footsteps of the Rippingtons, Toto, Enya and Jamiroquai but delivering a homogeneous blend of these musical styles.

Natural Design offers a fresh musical experience to listeners who take pleasure in knowledgeably crafted jazz-pop tunes and thoughtful lyrics.