Benkó is the founder of the Benkó Dixieland Band, which has been Hungary's premiere New Orleans-style jazz band for fifty years. The band has had a remarkable past, touring around the world as ambassadors of Hungary as well as of the genre, and enjoying much praise. Even Ronald Reagan, then President of the United States, called the band "one of the best in the world".
In spite of its fame, the Benkó Dixieland Band sticks close to its roots. The band plays in its "club" - a tiny room in Török Pál utca, behind Kálvin tér in District IX - nearly every Wednesday evening, but for a break in summer and around the Christmas holiday, the same as it has done for four decades. These concerts are a raucous affair, drawing a capacity crowd and bringing one just a few taps of the foot away from the bayou.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
