b. Attila Cornelius Zoller, 13 June 1927, Visegard, Hungary, d. 25 January 1998, Townsend, Vermont, USA. Zoller learnt to play the violin and trumpet as a child and only turned to the guitar when he chose to make a career in music. He played in a variety of bands in Budapest after the war before political unrest at home sent him to Austria and then, in the mid-50s, to Germany. There he played with Hans Koller and accompanied visiting Americans like Oscar Pettiford. In 1959, he won a scholarship to the Lenox School of Jazz and went to the USA. Zoller was a technically skilful guitarist who performed in a restrained style, with a keen harmonic sense which sometimes revealed his east European background. He joined Chico Hamilton's Quintet in 1960 and then played with Herbie Mann until 1965. He performed in a group specializing in modal jazz with Don Friedman before playing with Red Norvo and then Benny Goodman. In 1968, he was a co-leader in a trio with Albert Mangelsdorff and Lee Konitz. In 1971 he patented a bi-directional pick-up for the guitar and later developed a magnetic pick-up which could be used with a vibraphone.

Listen to Attila Zoller at Finetune.

• (2005)  Gypsy Cry

• Pat Metheny

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