This original group pursues the best traditions of free jazz enriching them with Hungarian flavours.

Istvan Grencso (b. 1956) is one of the strongest personalities of the Hungarian jazz school. He had his early start in Masina Jazz Group and various formations of Mihaly Dresch and Gyorgy Szabados. In 1985, he formed Grencso Kollektiva, which is still his main activity.

Since 1997, he has played with the legendary Hungarian avant-rock collective Kampec Dolores, which appeared in Vilnius Jazz in 2002. Moreover, Istvan Grencso is a co-founder of an experimental electro-acoustic formation Noiz Orchestra.

He is at ease not only with various saxophones, flute and other wind instruments, but also ethnic reeds. His music is always strongly attached to the culture and traditions of Eastern and Central Europe as well as Hugarian folklore.

For Grencso Realtime Collective the leader teams up with Dutch trombonist Hans van Vliet and three compatriots – the young but seasoned bassist Ernő Hock, experiment loving double bassts Róbert Benkő and inventive drummer Istvan Balo.

This concert is part of the Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009 programme Artscape.