Varga Bendegúz Quartet & Koncz Kriszta: No Excuses – Grunge in Jazz – lemezbemutató

Bendegúz Varga’s new album, *No Excuses*, set for release in the spring of 2026, takes the form of a concept album: the bandleader has selected iconic—or perhaps lesser-known, yet deeply cherished—songs from the Seattle grunge-rock movement that flourished in the early 1990s, reworking them with his band in the style of modern mainstream jazz. Despite the fact that these are rock covers rather than original compositions, they have managed to truly make the material their own, particularly thanks to the arrangements and improvisations. The new album features not only instrumental tracks but also vocal ones—to interpret the melodies made famous by male rock singers, Bendegúz invited Kriszta Koncz, winner of the 2024 Müpa Jazz Showcase Audience Award, who, with her deep, emotionally charged voice, gives the songs a whole new meaning.