Elek Bacsik (22 May 1926 – 14 February 1993) was a Hungarian-American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

guitarist and violinist. He was the cousin of guitarist

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

Career

Bacsik was born in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, Hungary. He was the son of Árpád Bacsik and Erzsébet Pócsi. He studied classical violin at the Budapest Conservatory before moving to jazz guitar. He worked in a big band with Jozsef Quitter and Geza Szabo and recorded for the first time in his career with this band in 1943. A few years later he went on tour in Europe and Lebanon with Mihaly Tabanyi. He was hired by

Renato Carosone Renato Carosone (; born Renato Carusone; 3 January 1920 – 20 May 2001) was an Italian musician. He was a prominent figure of the Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called ' ...

to be in a quartet with

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and

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in which he played bass, violin, and guitar. When he lived in Paris, he accompanied American musicians who were passing through, such as Lou Bennett,

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Quentin Jackson Quentin "Butter" Jackson

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, and

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. He also supported French singer

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. In 1966, he moved to the U.S. and until 1974 accompanied

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. In the 1970s he recorded as a leader on violin and electric violin. He played at the

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in 1974 and ten years later at the Olympic Games Jazz Festival in Los Angeles.

Discography

As leader

* ''The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik'' (Fontana, 1962) * ''Guitar Conceptions'' (Fontana, 1963) * ''I Love You'' (Bob Thiele Music, 1974) * ''Bird and Dizzy: A Musical Tribute'' (Flying Dutchman, 1975)

As sideman

* Barbara, ''Barbara Chante Barbara'' (Philips, 1964) * Barbara, ''Au Bois De Saint-Amand'' (Philips, 1965) * Lou Bennett, ''Dansez et Revez'' (Phono 2017) *

, ''

Gainsbourg Confidentiel ''Gainsbourg Confidentiel'' is the fifth studio album by French musician Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Re ...

'' (Philips, 1964) * Serge Gainsbourg, '' 1963 Théâtre des Capucines'' (Mercury, 2001) *

, ''

Dizzy on the French Riviera ''Dizzy on the French Riviera'' is a 1962 live album by Dizzy Gillespie, arranged by Lalo Schifrin. Track listing # "No More Blues" (Antonio Carlos Jobim-Vinicius de Moraes) – 10:20 # "Long, Long Summer" ( Lalo Schifrin) – 5:15 # "I Waited ...

'' (Philips, 1962) * Dizzy Gillespie, '' New Wave'' (Philips, 1963) *

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

, ''$'' (Reprise, 1972) *

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

, ''Jeanne Moreau No.2 12 Chansons'' (Jacques Canetti 1967) *

Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, oc, Claudi Nogaròu; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French songwriter and singer. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...

, ''No. 2'' (Philips, 1963)

Bibliography

* Balval Ekel: Elek Bacsik - Un homme dans la nuit. La-Neuville—Aux-Joutes. 2015. * Géza Gábor Simon: Season of the Rain - Elek Bacsik Bio-discography / Esős évszak - Bacsik Elek bio-diszkográfia, Budapest, 2016.

References

Sources

* Barnett, Anthony. ''Almost Like Being in Bop: a Not-So-Brief Account of the Hidden History of the Swing to Recorded Bebop and Progressive Violin in America and Europe''. Lewes, East Sussex
AB Fable
2005. More information on his recordings on violin o

External links

Elek Bacsik on www.djangostation.com

Biography on www.about-django.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacsik, Elek 1926 births 1993 deaths Musicians from Budapest American jazz guitarists American jazz violinists American male violinists American people of Hungarian-Romani descent American people of Romani descent American Romani people Hungarian emigrants to the United States Hungarian jazz guitarists Male guitarists Hungarian Romani people Hungarian violinists Romani violinists 20th-century American violinists 20th-century American guitarists American male guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Hungarian male musicians