“One of today’s most inventive percussionists.”
citizenjazz.com

It is a mystery whether Budapest-born, Vienna-based András Dés owes his openness to the fact that he is a percussionist and a jazz musician, or vice versa. Percussionists enjoy the highest degree of freedom because they can turn anything into an instrument with their hands, and jazz embodies freedom not only through improvisation, but also because it is the most open to other styles and genres in all directions. Dés’s openness is also reflected in his cross-genre movement: he has collaborated extensively with folk artists, regularly ventures into contemporary music, and enjoys performing with writers and poets. His affinity for theater is not only demonstrated by his composition of music for numerous plays but also by his solo piece, “Unblinking,” which straddles the border between concert and theater. Most recently, he participated in one of Vienna’s most exciting art projects, Ganymed, at the Natural History Museum. As a jazz musician, he has contributed to more than 100 records and graced major concert venues worldwide sharing the stage with countless internationally renowned artists. Despite his extensive instrumental repertoire, which includes percussion instruments from a wide variety of musical traditions, his latest album, “einschließlich,” was recorded in the woodlands of Bakony. For this recording session, András eschewed his usual set of percussion instruments and instead chose to play on the trees, the stones, and the water: the forest itself.