PFLUM ORSI&THE CAP BIOGRAPHY
Pflum Orsi & The CAP was established at the beginning of 2003 with the aim of creating a performance that is based on the elements of jazz, funky and soul music. The members of the band want to interpret their music and get it to the audience in a unique approach of music spicing it with their own ideas and personalities.
Playing good music it is very important to the band and also to have qualified and talented musicians who are all well-known and recognized in Hungary. The band gives concerts in clubs and at concert halls, taking part in festivals in Hungary and abroad. All the members of the group graduated at the jazz department of Liszt Ferenc Music Academy. Each musician has performed on several albums and played in different bands with other significant and famous Hungarian musicians.
The name of the band CAP refers to the character and sense of humour of the singer. Where does the name come from? CAP means "baseball cap". Caps are worn by the members of the group with pleasure. But it has a different meaning as a mosaic word. It means Contemporary Art Pop. It gives the idea that the music is passionate, tempting and of a high standard among the very simple and plain music heared nowdays. In their performance the energetic and pulsating power is combined with sensitivity and the greatest ease. The band plays its own songs and the pieces of such performers as Hiram Bullock, Rachelle Ferrell, Patti Austin, Maceo Parker, Randy Brecker, Sting, George Duke, Brand New Heavies..... The performances are in "Orsi" style. She is a very kind and sincere but determined young girl. Although she disarms everybody with her informality, dynamic power comes from her personality and her engaging eyes.
The members of CAP are:
Orsolya Pflum - vocal
István Elek - saxophone
Viktor Bori - piano, keyboard
Miklós Birta - guitar
Balázs Szendőfi - bassguitar
Peter Szendőri - drums
Orsolya Pflum began voice training when she was 14. She began singing as a little girl and was always interested in music of a high standard. She was admitted to Liszt Ferenc Music Academy in 1996 where she graduated in 2000. In the last few years she sang in several bands representing different styles of music such as jazz, blues, pop and funky. She appeared on TV and on radio several times plus she played as a singer in the film, Jakob the Liar, starring Robin Williams. Orsi sang in "Hangszál" which was a musical program of RTL Club. She took part in festivals in Switzerland and Germany and she sang at the Gronau Jazz Festival in 1999. She also was the background vocalist of Zsuzsa Cserháti, the beloved and extraordinary singer. Orsi performed on two of her albums, "Adj még a tűzből" and "Várj". Besides her concerts and studio works she currently sings in a play "Godspell" at Pesti Magyar Theatre. Orsi composes the words of her songs and creates the "image" of the band.
István Elek graduated at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy where he studied jazz and classical music. He is a well-known musician in Hungary. He appeared as a guest artist in Japan, Scandinavia and in the USA. He also appears as a "session" musician on the albums of several Hungarian musicians and bands. István won the Emerton prize as a member of the Fusio Group, the Besenyő Brass Band and a band called Tea. From 2002. he has been the saxophon teacher of the Jazz Department of Liszt Ferenc Music Academy. He also plays in the Coolactive and the Charlie Jazz Band.
Viktor Bori began playing the piano at the age of 5. After finishing his studies at Erkel Ferenc Music School he continued his classical studies at Bartók Béla Secondary Music School. Viktor studied English and German language at Eötvös Lóránt University of Science from 1983 to 1986. In 1985 he won the 2nd prize at the International Jazz Piano Competition in Kalisz in Poland. In 1986 Viktor moved to Holland and studied music from Henk Alkema at the Conservatory in Utrecht. From 1987 he taught as a piano teacher at the same conservatory. In Holland he played and toured with Gijs Hendriks saxophone player and his quartet. He finally moved to Hungary in 1990. Since then Viktor has played in several bands such as the Things with Attila László and Tony Lakatos and in the quartet of Imre Kőszegi with Gyula Csepregi and Tamás Berki. His first album "Better Times" was released in 1993. His trio, Trio Twilight, was established in 1996. He organizes the Bori Jazz Festival each year in Cegléd.
Miklós Birta took his final examination at the Jazz Guitar Department of Bartók Béla Secondary Music School in 1960. He graduated at the Jazz Guitar Department of Liszt Ferenc Collage of Music in 1996. Miklós taught guitar in several music schools in the last 12 years. At the moment he teaches jazz guitar at the Dr. Lauschmann Gyula Secondary Music School of Jazz in Székesfehérvár.
Since 1990 he has played at theatres and made music for motion pictures. He is regularly on TV and on the radio with different bands.
Miklós' first album "Next Generation" was released in 1998. In the same year he moved to New York where he had the opportunity to play with some American musicians. After he had arrived back home he established his quartet called Birta Life Pictures.
Miklós plays with Mike Stern, Paco Sery and Dave Samuels in the album of "Night Runner". He also appears in several other albums. In 2004 he made a record with Bill Evans, the saxophone player, in Warsaw.
He has played with the following musicians in a band on stage or on records so far:
Dave Samuels (USA), Mike Stern(USA), Paco Sery (F), Steve Logan(USA), Szakcsi Lakatos Béla, Tony Lakatos, Vasvári Pál, Frankie Látó, Csepregi Gyula, Benek Maseli(P), Kőszegi Imre, Binder Károly, Nagy János, Coolactive zenekar, Zsemlye "Zsömi" Sándor, Bergendi István és zenekara stb...
Peter Szendőfi graduated from the Classical Drum Department of Bartók Béla Secondary Music School in Miskolc in 1989. He continued his studies in Budapest and graduated from Liszt Ferenc College of Music in 1992. At that time Peter played in several bands such as In Line, the Babos Band and the László Attila Band. He also played with Klári Katona. He established his own group, the Fusio Quartet. It performed pieces written and arranged by Peter. His first album "Life Rhythm" was introduced in 1995 at the big booth of the Vígszínház. In 1995 Peter was admitted to the Drummers Collective Music School in New York. He won a complete scholarship to study and obtain a diploma in New York. It was there that he had the opportunity to perform with such outstanding musicians as Bob Quaranta keyboard, Kip Reed bass (Tania Maria Band), Lincoln Goines bass (Bob Berg, Mike Stern, Michel Camilo). He took private lessons from Jojo Mayer.
His second album "Attitudes" was released by Periferic Records in 1999. In the same year Peter appeared on the new album "Smart Kid" in his other main band, the László Attila Band.
In 2000 Peter changed the name of Fusio Quartet to Fusio Group because a new member joined his band. Fusio Group released a new album "Energy" in 2003. Since 2000 Peter has been the head teacher at the Drum Department of Dr. Lauschmann Gyula Secondary Music School of Jazz in Székesfehérvár.
Peter is one of the busiest drummers in Hungary. He appears on a lot of albums, gives courses and takes part in festivals and concerts in every style of music.
Balázs Szendőfi has been the student of Dr. Lauschmann Gyula Secondary Music School of Jazz in Székesfehérvár since 2000. He appears on several albums. His own bands are the Mindflowers and the Piccolo Inn. He also plays in the Holdudvar and the Self-searching System.