Elek Bacsik

Elek Bacsik
Born (1926-05-22)May 22, 1926
Budapest, Hungary
Died (1993-02-14)February 14, 1993
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar, violin
Years active 1960s–1970s
Labels Fontana

Elek Bacsik (22 May 1926 – 14 February 1993) was a Hungarian-born American jazz guitarist and violinist.[1] He was the cousin of guitarist Django Reinhardt.[2]

Bacsik was born in Budapest, Hungary, the son of Arpad Bacsik and Erzsebet Pocsi, of Romani ethnicity. He studied classical violin at the Budapest Conservatory before moving on to jazz guitar. In his teens, he recorded with Geza Szabo and Jozsef Quitter, then toured Europe with Mihaly Tabanyi. He lived in Paris in the 1950s, recording with French musicians and with American musicians who were passing through, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Lou Bennett, Art Simmons, and Quentin Jackson. In 1966, he moved to America and worked with Teresa Brewer until 1974. He played at the Olympic Games Jazz Festival in Los Angeles in 1984.[2]

Bacsik played guitar on Gillespie's Dizzy on the French Riviera (1962) and later played violin with Gillespie at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1974. His violin playing is featured on I Love You (1974) and Bird and Dizzy: A Musical Tribute (1975).

Discography

As leader

  • The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik (Fontana, 1962)
  • Bossa Nova (Fontana, 1962)
  • Guitar Conceptions (Fontana, 1963)
  • Jazz Guitarist (Philips) (reissue of The Electric Guitar of the Eclectic Elek Bacsik)
  • I Love You (Bob Thiele Music, 1975)
  • Bird and Dizzy: A Musical Tribute (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
  • Nuages (Universal, 2002)

As sideman

With Lou Bennett

  • Dansez et Revez (RCA Victor 430.051, 1960)

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Barbara

  • Chante Barbara (1974)
  • Barbara Chante Barbara (1998)
  • Gottingen 64–65 (1998)

With Serge Gainsbourg

References

  1. ↑ Social Security Death Index "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
  2. 1 2 Wynn, Ron. "Elek Bacsik | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 December 2016.

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 on AB Fable Bulletin : violin improvisation studies
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