Tribute to Peter Pallai
Venue: 606 Club
Date: 23/04/2026
Type: Music
See all forthcoming events for this venue:
606 Club
Event web site: https://www.606club…
Back in 2003 a charismatic man in what turned out be his mid 60's (although I initially assumed he was in his early 50's...) introduced himself to me with what I was later to find out was his characteristically forthright and engaging manner and said "I'm the Jazz Curator for the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London and you need Hungarian Jazz musicians playing here!". And so, after a short negotiation the Anglo-Hungarian Exchange programme between the 606 Club and Budapest Jazz Club, whereby we hosted Hungarian musicians and in return sent UK-based musicians to Budapest, was born. That man was Peter Pallai and his passionate advocacy and unbridled enthusiasm for Hungarian jazz was unbounded. Over the ensuing 20+ years of our friendship I also discovered that he was no ordinary enthusiast. A survivor of the Hungarian uprising in the mid-1950s he was forced to flee the country, ending up in London where he first was a teacher before becoming a correspondent for the BBC World Service, a position he held for almost 30 years. I also discovered that back in Hungary this generous and thoughtful man was enormously respected in his own circles, both as an award-winning journalist but also as, to quote a well-known Hungarian commentator, "a defining figure of the Hungarian jazz scene…[who] worked tirelessly to elevate jazz to its rightful place within Hungarian musical culture".
Sadly Peter unexpectedly passed away towards the end of last year and so tonight we have gathered together just some of the many UK musicians he championed to celebrate this remarkable man. The line up, which reflects how much Peter was admired in the UK, is a veritable who's who of acclaimed UK based jazz musicians including Liane Carroll-vocals/piano; Art Themen, Iain Ballamy, Julian Siegel, Paul Booth-saxes; Gareth Williams, Matyas Gayer, Tim Lapthorn-piano; Misha Mullov Abbado, Steve Watts, Arnie Somogyi-bass & Winston Clifford, Sophie Alloway-drums. And from Hungary representing the BJC the wonderful singer Gina Kanizsa. This promises to be a fabulous night of wonderful music in memory of a unique and much missed force of nature! Please note music money collected this evening will be donated to Peter's lasting legacy The Harmónia Műhely Alapítvány.
Address:
606 Club, 90 Lots Road, Chelsea, London SW10 0QD
Phone: 020 7352 5953
Web site: https://www.606club.co.uk