Sàrvàri Kovàcs Zsolt

Curriculum
Zsolt Kovács was born on August 27th 1967. His was not a family of musicians, but as a teenager he fell in love with music from The Beatles, who became his first musical reference, and thus started to play the drums.
In Sárvár during his school years (from elementary school to high school), he plays in various amateur rock and progressive groups, and continues learning as a self-body taught student.
At 17-18, after hearing for the first time a Miles Davis album (Kind of Blue), he starts moving towards Jazz.
He then transfers to Gyõr (1986-1987), where he studies as an electrician, at the same time playing the drums, and thanks to the very active musical life of the city, regularly attends concerts of Dresch Quartet, Grencsó Kollektíva, Szabados György, and of east German free-jazz groups. It is here that he meets Baló István and Geröly Tamás, who will become his first and most important teachers.
In 1993 he moves to Budapest, where he is accepted at the Liszt Ferenc musical conservatory (in the Jazz section). Teaching there are Kõszegi Imre and Nesztor Iván, who will be his teachers for the following four years. Among his classmates are young talented musicians like Palotai Csaba, Bacsó Kristóf, Németh Ferenc, Horváth Balázs (who will all become very well-known). It is with them that he forms his first groups.
At the same time he starts playing in trio with Gadó Gábor (who will have a great influence on his private life as well as on his music), and with Regõs Quartet, Equinox Quartet, Eichingerstadt, Egon Bondy, Lakatos Ágnes Trio, Nigun, Burány Béla Trio, various projects by Ágoston Béla and Grencsó István, Kovács Linda Quartet, and for some time with Dresch Mihály.
Among his longer collaborations are Quartet B (1997-2004) of Borbély Mihály, and Váczi Dániel (from 1998 to today).
His musical style is heavily influenced by popular music (not only Hungarian), modern classical music (Bartók, Debussy, Stravinsky, Satie), and by the New York Underground scene (Joey Baron, Jim Black, Tom Rainey, John Zorn, Tim Berne).
Since 2004 he lives in Rome, but has kept ties with his home country, where he gathers around him musicians willing to experiment.
He regularly performs with various groups, among which are Maurizio Urbani Quintet, Gabriele Coen Quartet, Négyet Quartet (F.Zacchia - D.Grotelli - S.Cantararno - Zs.Kovacs), Giuseppe La spina Quartet, Jazz Eleven, Federico Laterza Trio, Ze[f]ire.
In 1998 he began to work leather by hand; he produces various objects, but specializes in musical instrument cases. He has learned this art from Veres Zsuzsa, Finta Laci and Dombi Imre, and for this he will be forever grateful to them.
Special thanks goes to his friend Zsófi Tettamanti who let him use one of her drawings as a logo.
Curriculum
Zsolt Kovács nasce il 27 aogosto del 1967 in Ungheria (nella cittá di Celldömölk).
Nella sua famiglia prima non si annoverano musicisti. Da adolescent ama molto i Beatles, che che costituiscono il suo punto di riferimento musicale, e comincia così suonare la batteria.
A Sárvár durante gli anni di scuola (dalle elmentari al liceo) suona in gruppi non professionisti rock e progressiv, studiando da autodidatta.
A 17-18 anni per la prima volta, dopo aver ascoltato il disco (Kind of Blue) di Miles Davis, si accosta al jazz.
Si trasferisce dunque a Gyor (1986-87), dove studia per diventare elettricista (pur continuando l’attivitá di batterista) e sotto l’influsso della vita musicale della cittá, frequenta regolarmente i concerti di Dresch Quartet, Grencsò Kollektiva, Szabados Gyorgy, e il "free tedesco-est". Qui conosce Balo Istvan e Geroly Tamas, che diventano i suoi e più importanti maestri.
Nel 1993 raggiunge Budapest, riesce ad entrare al Conservatorio di musica Liszt Ferenc (alla facoltá di jazz). Li insegnano Koszegi Imre e Nesztor Ivan, con i quali studierá per quattro anni. In quegli anni frequentano la sua stessa facoltá giovani musicisti di talento, come Palotai Csaba, Bacso Kristof, Nemeth Ferenc, Horvath Balazs (che diventano molto conosciuti), con i quali costituisce ile prime formazioni.
Intanto inizia a suonare anche in trio con Gado Gabor (la cui influenza sará molto importante nella sua vita personale e musicale) e con Regõs quartet, Equinox Quartet, Eichingerstadt, Egon Bondy, Lakatos Agnes Trio, Nigun, Burany Bela Trio, vari progetti di Agoston Bela e Grencso Istvan, Kovacs Linda Quartet, e per un po’ di tempo con Dresch Mihaly.
Tra le collaborazioni più lunghe è con Quartet B (1997-2004) guidata da Borbely Mihaly, e con Vaczi Daniel (1998 da oggi).
Il suo modo di suonare risente molto della musica popolare (non solo ungherese), della musica classica moderna (Bartok, Debussy, Stravinsky, Satie), ed è stato influenzato dall’ ascolto di "new york underground" (Joey Baron, Jim Black, Tom Rainey, John Zorn, Tim Berne).
Dal 2004 vive a Roma, pur mantenendo i contatti in patria, dove cerca di trovare e raccogliere intorno a sé musicisti desiderosi di sperimentare. Suona con vari gruppi. Tra l’altro: Maurizio Urbani Quintet, Gabriele Coen Quartet, Negyet Quartet (F.Zacchia - D.Grotelli - S.Cantararno - Zs.Kovacs), Giuseppe La spina Quartet, Jazz Eleven, Federico Laterza Trio, Ze[f]ire.