ZOLBERT
BIOGRAPHY
Zolbert is a saxophonist, composer and producer, Hungary's smooth jazz ambassador.
One of his early compositions, "Frappé" won first prize in a smooth jazz club's song contest in Zugló, Budapest, 2013. In 2014, he won the grand prize in the annual song contest hosted by 90.9 Jazzy, Budapest's leading jazz station. Another highlight of 2014 was a main-stage concert at VeszprémFest, one of Hungary's premier jazz festivals, where he opened for globally renowned funk masters The Brand New Heavies.
Zolbert's debut album, "One" was released in April 2015 on Tom-Tom Records. It received extensive airplay on U.S. smooth jazz radio stations. One of its singles, "Frappé" was voted the 10th best track of 2015 on the legendary Jazztrax station's TOP 25 list.
In 2016, Zolbert introduced his festival, Zolbert Jazz & Wine Fest, bringing a new concept to Hungary's festival scene by combining exceptional local wine with state-of-the-art jazz. In early 2017, he released his second album, "Inside Out". The album features 13 brand-new original tracks, including a vocal piece with ace Hungarian vocalist extraordinaire Nicolas Takács.
His live concert album, "Live" released in 2018 by Eastern Deluxe Productions. Recorded live with a sublime 10-piece band, it showcases 17 tracks from Zolbert's first two LPs.
In 2019, he played a supporting act for the legendary Maceo Parker at the main stage of Paloznaki Jazzpiknik, Hungary's prime jazz festival. In April 2020, his "Live" concert film was released in collaboration with 90.9 Jazzy Radio via online streaming, reaching thousands of jazz lovers.
His third studio album, "Focus", was released in April 2022. It features 12 songs and six fantastic guest artists: Adam Hawley, Kim Scott, Kayla Waters, Oli Silk, Balage, and Peet from the Peet Project.
As one of the most promising young talents on the Hungarian music scene, Zolbert aims to reach international audiences by presenting original songs that will excite contemporary jazz fans worldwide. He seeks to represent smooth jazz music and lifestyle and connect with audiences in Western Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Over the past nine years, he has performed 200 concerts with his band.
From 2023, Zolbert is a band member of the internationally renowned cellist Hauser on a world tour.
ZOLBERT'S EQUIPMENT:
SOPRANO SAXOPHONE: Yanagisawa 900
Mouthpiece: Beechler HR (vintage) #7S
Ligature: Yanagisawa Yany SIXS
Reeds: Marca Jazz (unfiled) #3
ALTO SAXOPHONE: King Super 20
Mouthpieces: Brancher B21 (metal) /
Claude Lakey 5*3, Beechler Diamond S6S
Ligatures: Brancher Semi-Rigid / Yanagisawa Yany SIXS
Reeds: Marca Jazz (filed) #3
Screw: Yanagisawa Yany BooStar (gold plated)
TENOR SAXOPHONE: Rampone & Cazzani R1 Jazz (silver plated)
Neck: Rampone & Cazzani "XX" (sterling silver)
Mouthpiece: MACSAX Queso 8 (metal),
Reeds: Marca Jazz (unfiled) #3, #3.5
Screw: Yanagisawa Yany BooStar (standard)
BARITONE SAXOPHONE: Yanagisawa 902
Mouthpieces: Brancher B29 (metal) / Berg Larsen HR 100/2 (ebonite)
Ligatures: Brancher Metal Wire / Yanagisawa Yany SIXS
Reeds: Marca Jazz (unfiled) #2.5
FLUTE: Sankyo
SAX MICROPHONE: Neumann MCM114 clip-on microphone
WIRELESS SYSTEM: Sennheiser EW-D
IN-EAR-MONITOR: Sennheiser G4 wireless system, Sennheiser IE 40 Pro in-ear headphones
