Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Aladar Pege was born on October 8, 1939 in Budapest, Hungary into a family of Gypsy musicians. He did not start playing the bass until age 15 but he quickly grabbed the attention of his teachers at the Bartók Bela Musical Training College. He studied classical music at Bartók, and worked in dance orchestras. He attended Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and after graduating in 1969 he remained as a double bass teacher.

Forming a jazz quartet in 1963 Pege quickly gained international recognition and in 1964 saw him being named festival Virtuoso at a concert in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Reforming  his jazz group in 1970 he appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival where he was named Europe’s Best Soloist.

Between 1975 and 1978 he lived in Berlin, Germany playing bop and free jazz, but later returned home to teach. Aladar recorded with Walter Norris, and played concerts with Herbie Hancock, Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon and Mingus Dynasty. Sue Mingus, the widow of Charles Mingus, gave him one of her late husband’s instruments.

Double bassist Aladar Pege, who was called the Paganini of the bass, died at age 67 on September 23, 2006 in Budapest.

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