GR1993 RECORDS

[01.18.2013.]

Djabe: Down And Up
5.1 Surround release, DVD Audio/Video

Djabe released its previous studio album in 2008, and safe to say the new album Down And Up has been well worth waiting for. The music is simply first class both in both standard and in execution. We’ve been used to this quality and ambition from the band since its inception, and so no surprise therefore, that up to now 42 countries have invited Djabe to perform.

In November 2012 the double vinyl and CD version released. The band played 3 times the Down And Up in Hungary and Croatia with a huge success.

And now the 5.1 version is released, with many extras.

The surround release of the album offer a wide range possibilities for the audiophile lovers. The disc is DVD10 with two playable sides: one side with DVD Audio content, one side DVD Video content. With this solution all the DVD Video, DVD Audio and Blu-Ray player owners can playback the fantastic 5.1 sound.

On the DVD Audio side (player with DVD audio logo required), the whole album can be found in MLP 5.1 and MLP 2.0. This is the best quality digital replication of the original 24Bit/96kHz original recordings. Audio side contains one extra audio track, Steve Hackett’s composition entitled Camino Royale. The DVD Video side contains the whole album and the Camino Royale in DTS 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo. Uniquely the listener can choose from two different stereo masters. In addition to the 24/96 digital, you can listen to the analogue master used for the High End LP pressing. This solution is a good option for the High End testers to check the digital vs analogue differences. The DVD Video contains visual extras. Live performance of the title track and the Dark Soup and the video clip of the Tears For Peace.

The composition, scoring and studio work of Down And Up extol mainly the talent and exigency of Tamás Barabás. Naturally, some tunes referring to the world of some earlier Djabe recordings written by Attila Égerházi and Ferenc Kovács on the album. A special feature is that the last song of the album, Tears For Peace, was written by Joanna Hackett, wife of Steve Hackett. Here we must mention that the famous Genesis guitarist, who can almost be considered a Djabe member, is in five compositions on the album, moreover, he sings the track Tears For Peace.

While listening to the album we take part in the usual fresh and colourful music journey of Djabe and the band once more shows its new faces through ten new tracks portraying the moods and expressions of past experiences – downs and ups.

Tamás Barabás is a world renowned bass player. On Down And Up he actually plays a lot of instruments on the album, from which we can highlight his brilliant guitar performance. Few people are probably aware, that he started his career as a solo guitar player.

Szilárd Banai has grown into one of the best drummers on the horizon in the past few years, which is also proved by his international acknowledgments. His unique rhythmical and musical approaches add an enjoyable sense of colour to the compositions.

From the very beginning, Attila Égerházi’s guitar texture has been the basic characteristic of the Djabe sound. On this album, this essence is represented by Awakening City and Hills Of The Valley.
Ferenc Kovács brings his special musical ability on the trumpet and violin. The text he wrote for song The Dark Soup is of outstanding in its depth, and he performs it in his characteristic singing style.

Zoltán Kovács’s piano and keyboard playing have become an ever increasing important element of Djabe’s music wonderfully confirmed throughout this album.

Guest artists enrich this album with special colours through being exceptional musicians and through the musical instruments themselves. Steve Hackett (UK) plays the guitar and sings, John Nugent (USA) plays the tenor saxophone, Malik Mansurov (AZ) plays the ancient tar. From among the Hungarian musician friends Kálmán Balogh plays the cimbalom, Péter Bede plays the shepherd flute, Judit Herczeg is doing backing vocals and Gábor Veress plays the flute.

Djabe will tour again with the Down And Up album in surround sound!
The dates are follows:
27th February, 2013. Kecskemét, Kulturális és Konferencia Központ, 7 pm.
1st March, 2013 Budapest, PECSA Music Hall, 8 pm
2nd March, 2013 Oradea, Romania

Djabe is one of the World’s leading acts in surround studio recording and live solutions. This is a unique experience for all music lovers, especially the 5.1 in concerts.

Gulli Briem (drummer of Mezzoforte) will join to Djabe for all gigs, and John Nugent (Sax player Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Woody Hermann) also joins to Budapest and Oradea shows. John played in few tracks on Down And Up, but both of them got important rule in the show.

Go to DVD Audio/Video page

Order

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[01.06.2009]
STEVE HACKETT LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE

Steve Hackett launched a new website beginning of this year at www.hackettsongs.com

Steve’s opening notes: ”Welcome to my new site! Tune in here for the latest news on recordings, touring and all things Hackett related. Like any fledgling site it's a work in progress and will continue to evolve. My new team look forward to having you on board!”

On his new site, in the blog section, Steve wrote about his Malaysian journey with Djabe.

Tune your eyes to Steve’s fantastic new site!

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Djabe plays in Stockholm at
Skeppsholmen Stora stage

[07.29.2005]
Finnish and Sweedish jazz fans are fascinated by Djabe

Djabe stepped on the stage of the Pori Jazz festival, celebrating its 40 th jubilee on a bright sunny evening. The momentum and freshness of the one-hour-concert, which started at 8 o’clock in the evening, and its Hungarian characteristic captivated the audience, who welcomed the compositions and solos with continuous frenetic applause.

In the 21 of July program of Pori world class stars like Charlie Haden, Jamie Cullumn and Kenny Garrett stood on the stage.

Stockholm Jazz 2005, the other world wide known festival was a great success as well in the life of Djabe. The huge stage was set up on the Isle of Skeppsholmen, in the heart of Stockholm. In front of it was the auditorium, where approximately 5,000 people could sit down or stand while viewing the concert.

After the stormy concert the audience of Stockholm attacked the CD stand, later a crowd was standing in front of the dedication tent. From among the brand new enthusiastic Djabe fans it was exclaimed that Djabe’s performance was the best, while on the 23rd of July such stars as Johnny Griffin, Toots Thielemans, Lisa Nilsson, Didier Lockwood and Peter Cincotti also performed and the day before the last performance, Lee Ritenour, Roy Haynes, Lauryn Hill and John Abercrombie.

Once more, Djabe received an invitation to America as a result of the Scandinavian concerts given by the band.
Djabe gives a concert next in Bulgaria at the international Bansko Jazz festival.

Djabe - Pori Jazzfestival photos
Djabe - Stockholm photos

Andreas Ulanowsky's review about the concert

Pori Jazzfestival homepage
Stockholm Jazzfestival homepage

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[2005.06.17]
Steve Hackett - Live archive 05
A Live Archive sorozat 2005-ös daradbja. Steve akusztikus turnéjának Londoni, a Queen Elizabeth Hall-ban adott koncertjén került rögzítése.

A dupla CD a koncert teljes anyagát tartalmazza, Steve, John és Roger kommentárjaival.
Az elso CD-n Steve egyedül hallható, a második részben - kiadványunk második CD-jén - csatlakozott hozzá fuvolista öccse John Hackett, és billentyuse Roger King.

Bovebben a kiadványról
Az album on-line megrendelheto

[2005.06.17]
Steve Hackett - Live archive 05
Recorded at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 3rd April 2005 during the recent Acoustic Trio Tour

This 2 CD set features the entire show, including song introductions from Steve, John, and Roger, allowing you to enjoy the full audio experience from a virtual front-row seat!

As Steve says, he is also his own support act in as much as the first half of the show is simply Steve and guitar. The trio is then completed with the addition of John Hackett on flute, and Roger King on keyboards when they join Steve for the second half.