Orsi Kozma - vocals
Subjectively
My opinion of her will always be biased as I've known her since the age of 18. I did her first recording in the studio when we tried to record the Brainwash songs composed with Sandra Grant with Tibor Bornai's Hungarian lyrics. For years I didn't dare watch her perform live as I was always as nervous as a father at the , even though by then she'd been through many other high profile productions such as Jazz+Az, Somewhere in Europe, and the Jungle Book...She has always surprised me when I saw the identical waveforms on the screen take by take, proving her outstanding rhythmic precision as she laid polyphonic vocals. Many people consider her to be a difficult case, but in reality she is only a very sensitive and extremely conscientious person.
Tamás Mohai - guitar
Subjectively
Although we met in the early '80's, we had no chance to play together until 1995. I invited him to join us for our first 9:30 record, but after a half day in the studio he suggested that we should find someone else (Jano Kormos stepped in later). I really appreciated the fact that Tamas did not make this a question of prestige and admitted he wasn't right for the band. Nonetheless we continued to maintain our friendship and have had several productions together. I know very few musicians who alongside being great musicians practice good moral.
Desney Bailey - vocals
Subjectively
I first met her back in 2000 on New Year's eve in Berlin at the Oxymorone club where she was playing with her Jazz quartet. When the idea of 9:30 Collective was brewing in my head, I asked Desney if she might be interested in other music genres, she said of course but she just doesn't have the time to talk about the idea for too long as she is expected to join the DJs at a house party. By this time I suspected that I was pitching the idea to the right person, and as I expected in half a year we had recorded our first tunes. Since then Desney had become more than just a great band member but also a great friend.
Sándor ˝Zsömi˝ Zsemlye - saxophones
Subjectively
Besides Jancsi Nagy, he is the one who participated in every movement of 9:30 Collective, including both albums and concerts. He is my favorite saxophone player, and not just because of his sound, or perpetual dissatisfaction and perfectionism frequently bordering on the ridiculous. But also because, unlike many solo instrument players, he does not abuse rhythms, does not adopt the attitude that "tempo is a matter for the rhythm section", so a soloist can play any note any time without consequences, but instead – in parallel to free play – he is also aware of how long a sixteenth note lasts or what is a sextola, and this is expressed through his play, too.
János Nagy - keyboards
Subjectively
Met him during the first recording of 9:30 and watched him grow into one of the most recognised world class keyboard player. I have helped him record some of his solo albums as well as making some arrangements (e.g. Where have you been, Galambom).
Janos has been with 9:30 from the start, alongside Zsömi, and attended all concerts and recordings we have done thus far. He is one of the most stubborn people I've met – he accomplishes whatever he puts his mind to, no matter what... I really envy him for this ability.
Miki Birta - guitar
Subjectively
Many claim him to be one of the technically most gifted guitarists – and with a reason -, but I suspect most people may still ignore his greatest strength: his rhythm accompaniments. But, it is not an exaggeration to say that in this respect he is such a world class player that hardly has a peer or an equal, even in allegedly rhythm-focused music. All rhythm guitar accompaniments on the first 9:30 album appeared by his courtesy. So mark me well: Paul Jackson Jr., Wah Wah Watson, Miki Birta...
Krzysztof Scieranski - bass guitar
Subjectively
I was 12 years old when I bought his album – Modern Pentathlon by the band he was then part of called Laboratorium. He is now one of my favourite bass guitar players. In 1991, I had the opportunity to see him perform live at a Jazz Festival in London and got introduced to each other through a friend...we've become good friends since. When I was working on the 'Momentary Fame' record, I based the theme of Fine Art of Rescue on a tone that features on one of his solo albums.
He arrived to the studio with a van full of equipment ('just to be on the safe side') and after the n-th solo we could hardly get him to finish ('let's do another take, I still want to try something'). He continuously has an instrument in his hand, before, during and after the shows and you just can't take it out of his hand at any time of the day, for any reason, in any season, in any position – his energy and love for music is truly enviable.
György Szappanos - bass guitar
Subjectively
For many years now, Gyorgy has been in majority of the productions I've been involved in. Whilst I've known him a long time now, I only really asked him to play with me when I first heard him play his bass guitar at a concert in the Budapest Sport Arena, where I heard a bass sound that anyone would love to have in his band! We've lived through a lot together having played in the same band for some time now... our adventures are enough to fill many movies – we might collect them when we retire.
