Syrius - 1971 - Devil's Masquerade (2012) FLAC

Concerto For A Three-Stringed Violin And Five Mugs Of Beer/Crooked Man/I’ve Been This Down Before /Devil’s Masquerade/Psychomania/Observations Of A Honest Man/In The Bosom Of A Shout /Take 2 Signature/Shattered Dreams/I'm A Man/Fixing A Hole/Summertime Blues/Who Is The Clown



While technically not an Australian band they were here for 2 years before returning to Hungary while here they became part of the lanscape and recorded this album on the Spin Label.





Miklós József "Jackie" Orszáczky (8 May 1948, Budapest, Hungary – 3 February 2008, Sydney, Australia) was a Hungarian-Australian musician, arranger, vocalist and record producer. His musical styles included jazz, blues, R&B, funk and progressive rock; he mainly played bass guitar – from the early 1990s he used a modified piccolo bass – but also various other instruments. In 2006 Orszaczky was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit by the Hungarian government. Also that year Orszaczky was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and died on 3 February 2008, aged 59.

 In 1969 Orszaczky joined jazz-fusion and progressive rock group, Syrius on bass guitar, guitar and vocals. Other members of Syrius were Zoltan "Joel" Baronits on piano, oboe and saxophone; Latsi "Les" Pataki on organ, piano and drums; Mihaly "Michie" Raduly on saxophone, flute and violin; and Andras "Andrew" Veszelinov on drums, guitar and trombone. Australian backpacker, Charles Fisher, saw one of the group's gigs and advised them to tour Australia. Syrius toured there in 1970-71, including a performance at the Myponga Festival in South Australia in January 1971. In Melbourne they recorded an album, Syrius, with Fisher producing, which was released both in Australia (on the Spin label) and Hungary. In Australia they also issued a single, "I've Been This Down Before". According to Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, Syrius were "Hungary's top rock attraction, and had already issued several albums of jazz fusion before relocating to Australia". In October 1971, after the tour, the group returned to Hungary.

 Progressive fusion jazz influenced by impressionistic effects and Frank Zappa – that’s how we would sum up the first (and most important) album of one of the most underrated Hungarian bands, Syrius. “The Devil’s Masquerade” was recorded in Australia, and that’s the only record created by the classic lineup: Zsolt Baronits (alto and tenor saxophone, vocals); Miklós Orszáczky aka “Jackie” (vocals, bass, violin, acoustic guitar); László Pataki (piano, organ); Mihály Ráduly (alto and tenor saxophone , flute, piccolo); and András Veszelinov (drums, vocals). There is a strong ’70s experimental-avant-rock edge to it too, with a butter-churning funky rhythm section – sometimes a bit too cacophonous for everyone’s liking, but clearly a masterpiece.