Biography
Laszlo Gardony brings a refined improvisational touch to jazz piano, weaving Hungarian folk influences into his post-bop swing. Since arriving on the scene in the early 1980s, the pianist has earned praise alongside such figures as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Herbie Hancock. After relocating to the United States, he made his recording debut with the 1986 album The Secret, supported by bassist Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman. His collaborations have included work with Dave Holland, Randy Brecker, and Dave Liebman, as well as membership in the progressive bluegrass group Wayfaring Strangers. Independently, Gardony has released several acclaimed solo and small-group projects, among them 1995’s Changing Standards, 2008’s Dig Deep, 2019’s La Marseillaise, and 2022’s Close Connection, the last of which showcased his longstanding trio alongside bassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel.
Born in Hungary in 1956, Gardony began studying piano in childhood and was already improvising melodies by ear at age five. While receiving classical instruction through his teenage years, he explored blues, jazz, and progressive rock during adolescence. After completing high school, he attended both the Béla Bartók Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest. Upon graduating in 1979, he launched his professional career with European tours and festival appearances alongside Art Blakey, Abdullah Ibrahim, and additional luminaries. In 1983 he moved to the U.S. and entered Boston’s Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. During that time he performed with the ensemble Forward Motion, which issued two albums on Hep. After finishing his studies at Berklee, Gardony joined the faculty as a private instructor and performed with John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez, and others. His first trio recording, The Secret, appeared in 1986, having been tracked earlier in Europe with the same Vitous-Froman rhythm section. Two years afterward he recorded the follow-up trio session Legend of Tsumi with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bill Moses.
Throughout the 1990s Gardony alternated between unaccompanied recitals such as 1990’s Changing Standards and larger-ensemble dates such as 1994’s Breakout, while also documenting several swinging, richly detailed albums with guitarist Garrison Fewell. He joined the Sunnyside roster in 2001 for Behind Open Doors, again in trio format with drummer Jamey Haddad and bassist John Lockwood. That same year he contributed solos to the debut release by violinist Matt Glaser and banjo player Tony Trischka’s progressive bluegrass collective Wayfaring Strangers, interpreting Ralph Stanley’s “Man of Constant Sorrow.” When the group delivered This Train two years later, Gardony had become a permanent member.
His enduring trio with Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel first appeared on record with 2003’s Ever Before Ever After. The three musicians have produced four well-received albums together, including 2008’s Dig Deep and 2011’s Signature Time, the latter also featuring saxophonist/vocalist Stan Strickland on several tracks. Gardony issued the solo-piano collection Clarity in 2013, which drew strong critical notice. He expanded to a trio-to-sextet lineup for the 2015 live album Life in Real Time, incorporating Strickland, Bill Pierce, and Don Braden. Two years afterward he returned with the solo outing Serious Play, mixing spontaneously composed studio pieces and soul-inflected readings of standards. On the 2019 solo date La Marseillaise he presented original compositions together with Errol Garner’s “Misty,” Denny Zeitlin’s “Quiet Now,” and the traditional Neapolitan song “’O Sole Mio.” He once more featured the Lockwood-Israel trio on 2022’s Close Connection.
Born in Hungary in 1956, Gardony began studying piano in childhood and was already improvising melodies by ear at age five. While receiving classical instruction through his teenage years, he explored blues, jazz, and progressive rock during adolescence. After completing high school, he attended both the Béla Bartók Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest. Upon graduating in 1979, he launched his professional career with European tours and festival appearances alongside Art Blakey, Abdullah Ibrahim, and additional luminaries. In 1983 he moved to the U.S. and entered Boston’s Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. During that time he performed with the ensemble Forward Motion, which issued two albums on Hep. After finishing his studies at Berklee, Gardony joined the faculty as a private instructor and performed with John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez, and others. His first trio recording, The Secret, appeared in 1986, having been tracked earlier in Europe with the same Vitous-Froman rhythm section. Two years afterward he recorded the follow-up trio session Legend of Tsumi with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bill Moses.
Throughout the 1990s Gardony alternated between unaccompanied recitals such as 1990’s Changing Standards and larger-ensemble dates such as 1994’s Breakout, while also documenting several swinging, richly detailed albums with guitarist Garrison Fewell. He joined the Sunnyside roster in 2001 for Behind Open Doors, again in trio format with drummer Jamey Haddad and bassist John Lockwood. That same year he contributed solos to the debut release by violinist Matt Glaser and banjo player Tony Trischka’s progressive bluegrass collective Wayfaring Strangers, interpreting Ralph Stanley’s “Man of Constant Sorrow.” When the group delivered This Train two years later, Gardony had become a permanent member.
His enduring trio with Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel first appeared on record with 2003’s Ever Before Ever After. The three musicians have produced four well-received albums together, including 2008’s Dig Deep and 2011’s Signature Time, the latter also featuring saxophonist/vocalist Stan Strickland on several tracks. Gardony issued the solo-piano collection Clarity in 2013, which drew strong critical notice. He expanded to a trio-to-sextet lineup for the 2015 live album Life in Real Time, incorporating Strickland, Bill Pierce, and Don Braden. Two years afterward he returned with the solo outing Serious Play, mixing spontaneously composed studio pieces and soul-inflected readings of standards. On the 2019 solo date La Marseillaise he presented original compositions together with Errol Garner’s “Misty,” Denny Zeitlin’s “Quiet Now,” and the traditional Neapolitan song “’O Sole Mio.” He once more featured the Lockwood-Israel trio on 2022’s Close Connection.
Albums
