This wonderful album unites a quintet of Hungarian jazz musicians with Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz for a program of swinging, thoughtful, and emotionally rich melodies, including fresh takes on Truffaz's previously recorded "Betty" and "Yasmina." The somewhat introspective flavor of the session recalls the classic, spare, moody ECM sound of the mid-'70s in the best way, and fans of the early Pat Metheny Group should enjoy this CD, though the sound of Off Course is less flashy and less self-consciously virtuosic. This is a small group playing with intimate sympathy, and Truffaz's Miles-ish additions on six of these tracks makes "Tales of the Lighthouse" a perfect late-night or rainy Sunday afternoon listen. The first track, "Marmosets," features keyboardist Robert Szakcsi Lakatos on Fender Rhodes, which enhances the group sound so considerably that Off Course should consider using the Rhodes for an entire session. For Truffaz fans who don't mind hearing their hero in a somewhat old-school context, this record is a must-buy. - by Stephen Silberman, Amazon.com
I feel close to Hungarian musicians, because we share the same melodic approach, and although this was my fourth visit to the country, it was only my second chance to play with a local band.
My feeling was that the music we played wasn’t especially Hungarian, but rather European jazz and so I selected two of my more traditional compositions Betty and Yasmina in order to get the most out of these sessions. Though I have recorded Betty several times, I think this is my favourite version so far. I enjoyed playing with all the musicians because they performed with heart and spirit, as I believe that the most important thing about music is not technical perfection, but rather the achievement of magical moments. Also I really appreciated that Robi Szakcsi – a great pianist – played on a Fender Rhodes on Marmosets, giving the track a unique feeling. I loved doing it. - by Erik Truffaz
Artist: Off Course featuring Erik Truffaz
Album: Tales of the Lighthouse
Year: 2002
Label: BMC
Runtime: 54:02
Tracks:
1. Marmosets (Robert Szakcsi Lakatos) 5:45
2. Betty (Erik Truffaz) 4:57
3. To My Father (Bela Szakcsi) 8:00
4. Tales of the Lighthouse (Jozsef Horvath Barcza) 4:55
5. Hope (Gabor Juhasz) 6:51
6. Ogre (Jozsef Horvath Barcza) 5:13
7. Black and Orange (Bela Szakcsi) 5:17
8. Yasmina (Erik Truffaz) 5:18
9. To My Father (Bela Szakcsi) 7:46
Personnel:
Gabor Juhasz (Guitar)
Robert Szakcsi Lakatos (Piano, Fender Rhodes)
Jozsef Horvath Barcza (Double Bass)
Andras Mohai (Drums)
Andras Des (Percussion)
Erik Truffaz (Trumpet) - 1,2,4,6,8,9