8
Mar, 2026
Mike Gotthard/Gergo Borlai Group

Mike Gotthard/Gergo Borlai Group | Modern Jazz Fusion (HU)

Mike Gotthard/Gergo Borlai Group

Modern Jazz Fusion | HU

AVAILABILITY FOR EUROPE

2026/27 | Dates upon request (EU Resident band)

Line-up

Mike Gotthard | guitar
Gergő Borlai, Mohini Dey, Jesús Molina, Scott Kinsey, Al Di Meola, Gary Willis, Hadrien Feraud, Anton Davidyants, Kornél Fekete-Kovács, Dániel Szebényi

Martin Gudics | bass
Gergő Borlai, Frank Gambale, Boca Gambale, Tom Schuman, HAUSER, Péter Ferencz, Attila Závodi, Olivér Magán, Marcell Gudics

Erik Tempfli | keyboards
Bori Hegedűs, Petra Gubik, Dániel Görögh, Frankie Látó, Gergő Szakács, Dániel Szebényi, Dávid Kovács, Peta Lukács, Sándor Zsemlye

Gergő Borlai | drums
Scott Kinsey, Gary Willis, Jimmy Haslip, Hadrien Feraud, Nathan East, Bob Mintzer, Al Di Meola, Matthew Garrison, Scott Henderson

Style

A modern fusion quartet led by guitar, where Mike Gotthard’s blues-rock phrasing meets a broader, more fluid jazz grammar. The rhythm section of Gergő Borlai and Martin Gudics drives the project toward an elastic, sharply defined groove able to absorb odd meters without losing immediacy. Erik Tempfli completes the DNA with open harmonic thinking and a contemporary timbral palette: the result is music that is sensual in attack, brutal in energy, and always melodic in design.

Profile

Mike Gotthard/Gergo Borlai Group is the most compact and readable form of Mike Gotthard’s authorial language: a project built on original compositions that move through jazz, blues, rock, and funk without treating genres as fenced territories, but rather as reservoirs of accents, timbres, and dynamics. Around Gotthard’s guitar, the band works through contrasts: tension and singability, rhythmic precision and spontaneity, electric impact and harmonic breadth. Borlai brings international-level metric drive, Gudics holds the center with a mobile, reactive bass voice, while Tempfli opens depth and color through keyboards that can be both structural and narrative. The dominant traits are energetic articulation, a modern fusion harmonic vocabulary, tight interplay, and a clear live-performance vocation: not a simple all-star vehicle, but an ensemble with its own identity, recognizable for its balance of technique, groove, and writing.

Details

Mike Gotthard
A Hungarian guitarist and composer, he forms the expressive center of the project with phrasing that blends blues lyricism, rock attack, and jazz-fusion development. Official and critical sources describe him as an author more interested in musical narrative than in technical display, with a language built on melody, groove, and reciprocal listening. Within the band, he is the main vector of aesthetic direction: themes, dynamic shifts, and formal design remain readable even when the ensemble opens into improvisation.

“Misi is a real bomb of energy whose musicality can speak equally to rock lovers and jazz devotees.” (György Szentgallay, review of “Intellectual Brutality”, 2016-11-11)

Martin Gudics
A bassist able to move across fusion, songwriter-driven pop, smooth jazz, and high-intensity technical contexts, he brings rhythmic elasticity and structural awareness to the group. His role goes beyond support: he builds links between guitar and drums, keeps metric transitions fluid, and strengthens the groove element without weighing down the texture. Within the band’s DNA, he represents the pole of balance: precise, but always in service of collective musical unity.

“By now we can say with pride that Martin Gudics belongs to the elite of bass players not only in his country, but worldwide.” (JazzMa.hu, presentation of “BVDA”, 2024-04-17)

Erik Tempfli
A pianist, keyboardist, and Artisjus Award-winning composer, he brings broad harmonic thinking and a timbral awareness that avoids both mere filling and decorative virtuosity. His parts help define the group’s breathing space: pads, organ colors, electric piano textures, and modern comping become tools of architecture rather than simple color. He is the member who most clearly expands the quartet’s tonal horizon and reinforces its melodic-contemporary side.

“The natural lightness of his touch is in perfect harmony with his personality; his playing and musical humour evoke the very greatest.” (JazzMa.hu editorial, 2020-12-12)

Gergő Borlai
An internationally established drummer and composer, Borlai acts as an identity accelerator for the project: rhythmic precision, dynamic control, advanced fusion vocabulary, and the ability to make even the most complex metric turns feel organic. His presence transforms the ensemble from an author-led group into a band with strong performance traction. In the group’s DNA he carries weight both as rhythmic engine and as a marker of prestige: his signature is recognizable in the energy, the clarity of pulse, and the dramatic handling of climaxes.

“Gergo has become one of the most exciting up-and-coming drummers today and continues to be recognized with each jaw-dropping solo.” (Drumeo, 2022-08-19)

 

Biography

Mike Gotthard is a Hungarian guitarist and composer whose work bridges blues phrasing, modern fusion, and a strong live-performance instinct. Gergő Borlai, with an international career spanning hundreds of recordings and top-tier collaborations, brings world-class rhythmic identity and prestige to the ensemble. Together with Martin Gudics and Erik Tempfli, the group delivers a modern jazz fusion format built on compositional clarity, high-impact groove, and advanced interplay.

Discography

Mike Gotthard
Intellectual Brutality — album — 2016
9 Wheels — single — 2021
Flotation — single — 2024
The Electric Shock Live Session — EP — 2025
The Group Live Session — single — 2026
Sensual Brutality — album — 2026
LesMi — single — 2026

Martin Gudics
Ups & Down — album with Peet Project — 2020
Sweet Lemon — album with Peet Project — 2022
Global Warning — Oliver Zisko album featuring Martin Gudics — 2022
Hard to Say Goodbye — single with Dániel Szebényi and Gudics Twins — 2023
Sensual Brutality — album with Mike Gotthard/Gergő Borlai — 2026
LesMi — single with Mike Gotthard/Gergő Borlai — 2026

Erik Tempfli
Altató — song performed at A Dal with Bori Hegedűs — 2021
Anya — single with Bori Hegedűs — 2022
Unalmas felnőtt — single with Bori Hegedűs and Johanna Lengyel — 2022
ReStar — album with Kodály Spicy Jazz — 2025
Sensual Brutality live set with Mike Gotthard Group — repertory documented from 2024 to 2026

Gergő Borlai
17 — album — 1998
Sausage — album — 2004
M.M.M. — album — 2010
ARC Trio — album — 2018
The Missing Song — album — 2020
Burger Joint on Oxnard Street — single — 2023
Monster Pop — single — 2023
A New Normal — single — 2025
Sensual Brutality — album with Mike Gotthard — 2026
LesMi — single with Mike Gotthard — 2026

Quotes

“Misi is a real bomb of energy whose musicality can speak equally to rock lovers and jazz devotees.”
György Szentgallay | JazzMa.hu | 2016-11-11

“The natural lightness of his touch is in perfect harmony with his personality; his playing and musical humour evoke the very greatest.”
JazzMa.hu editorial | 2020-12-12

“By now we can say with pride that Martin Gudics belongs to the elite of bass players not only in his country, but worldwide.”
JazzMa.hu editorial | 2024-04-17

“Gergo has become one of the most exciting up-and-coming drummers today and continues to be recognized with each jaw-dropping solo.”
Drumeo | 2022-08-19

Reviews

Gotthárd Mihály: Intellectual Brutality / JazzMa.hu / György Szentgallay / 2016-11-11

Katartikus elektrosokk Solymáron / JazzMa.hu / Géza Barcsik / 2020-09-15

‘I meet new inspirations almost every day’ / Secret Eclectic / 2021-03-16

Lamantin Jazz Fesztivál szerda / JazzMa.hu / László Czika / 2025-07-04

WHATS GOING ON

4
Feb, 2026
ALLEN HINDS 4tet ft. JIMMY HASLIP, MICHELE PAPADIA & GERGO BORLAI (USA)

ALLEN HINDS 4tet ft. JIMMY HASLIP, MICHELE PAPADIA & GERGO BORLAI | Groove Fusion (USA)

Allen Hinds 4tet

ft. Jimmy Haslip, Michele Papadia & Gergo Borlai

Groove Fusion (jazz‑blues‑rock) | USA

AVAILABILITY FOR EUROPE

2026 | August 19th to 30th

Line-up

Allen Hinds | Guitar
Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Randy Crawford, James Ingram, Bobby Caldwell, BeBe & CeCe Winans, The Crusaders, Hiroshima, Boney James, Eric Marienthal

Jimmy Haslip | Bass
Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, Bonnie Raitt, Rod Stewart, Donald Fagen, Al Jarreau, Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Lorber, Robben Ford, Bobby McFerrin

Gergő Borlai | Drums
Al Di Meola, Tony MacAlpine, Nathan East, Tom Scott, Vernon Reid, Terry Bozzio, Bob Mintzer, Scott Henderson, Gary Willis, Hadrien Feraud

Michele Papadia | Keys
Ana Popovic, Joe Bonamassa, Noemi, Fabrizio Bosso, Gianluca Petrella, Patty Pravo

Style

A blues-rooted, guitar-led fusion set where hooks matter as much as solos: Allen Hinds’ vocal phrasing rides a pocket built by Jimmy Haslip’s melodic, harmony-aware bass lines and Gergő Borlai’s high-definition drive-tight on the backbeat, fearless when the meters start to bend. Michele Papadia adds Hammond grit and electric-piano shimmer, widening the harmonic canvas as the quartet moves from lean funk vamps to open, melodic jazz-rock studio-clean in tone, live-wire in momentum.

Profile

Allen Hinds Quartet brings groove fusion into a modern, song-forward frame-equal parts blues narrative, jazz harmony, and rock attitude. Hinds’ lyrical phrasing and expressive articulation lead the line, while Jimmy Haslip anchors the band with a producer’s ear and an electric sound that can feel as warm and upright-like as it is punchy. Gergo Borlai adds high-definition fusion vocabulary without losing the jazz feel, turning metric shifts into momentum rather than complexity. Michele Papadia widens the harmonic spectrum with Hammond and keys that can move from velvet pad work to biting, percussive comping an ideal foil for Hinds’ bends and melodic themes. The set stays built on groove: head-nodding backbeats, elastic pocket funk, and slow-burn blues that open into fearless improvisation and tight, conversational interplay.

Details

Allen Hinds A long-time first-call guitarist in contemporary jazz-blues contexts, with credits spanning soul, pop, and jazz crossover sessions. His writing favors melodic song-forms, dynamic builds, and tone-forward storytelling. Highlights include the 2016 release Fly South. (“Imagine a player with the taste of Robben Ford, the fearless melodicism of Jeff Beck and the joyous musicality of Derek Trucks.” — Jason Sidwell, MusicRadar, 2017-05-10)

Jimmy Haslip Cofounding voice of modern fusion bass, known for lyricism, articulation, and harmonic clarity. Equally at home as sideman and producer, shaping ensembles from the inside out. His work is often praised for bringing an upright-like elegance to the electric instrument. (“Haslip is a most lyrical musician, and he brings the elegant tone of an upright bass to his electric model.” — Ian Patterson, All About Jazz, 2011-05-04)

Gergő Borlai A fusion powerhouse with a broad vocabulary—speed, precision, and deep listening in equal measure. Credits include work alongside rock/fusion icons and a strong footprint in modern jazz contexts. His playing turns technical firepower into narrative energy and forward motion. (“Oh, he can shred—boy, can he shred.” — Ilya Stemkovsky, Modern Drummer, 2018-11-30)

Michele Papadia Keyboardist, composer, arranger, and producer with a reputation for high-impact groove playing and rich harmonic color. Active across jazz-fusion and blues-rock circuits, including long-term work in international touring line-ups. His keys parts are valued for shaping the identity of recordings from the earliest demos. (“Michele Papadia, with me for 17 years… sent me keys parts for the first demos of the songs and I kept them all.” — Ana Popovic, American Blues Scene, 2023-05-02)

Biographies

Allen Hinds

Allen Hinds is a guitar storyteller whose career sits at the crossroads of blues grit, jazz harmony, and modern fusion drive. Raised in Auburn, Alabama and drawn early to blues and R&B, he pushed toward jazz and fusion as a teenager and studied at Berklee before relocating to Los Angeles to attend Musicians Institute. In MI’s own profile of his path, that move was made possible by the Larry Carlton Scholarship, and Hinds has remained closely tied to the school as a long-standing faculty member in jazz improvisation and phrasing.

In L.A., Hinds built the kind of résumé that only comes from being consistently called for the right gigs: tracking and touring across soul, pop, and jazz-adjacent sessions with major artists and bandleaders while also cultivating his own catalogue. His playing has been repeatedly described in terms of “taste” and melodic fearlessness vocal-like bends, liquid legato, and a climactic sense of solo architecture that makes improvisation feel like narrative. That dual identity-first-call sideman and leader with a signature voice shows up in how he writes: tight, song-centered forms that can expand into open improvisation without losing their arc.

Hinds’ music has also found a life in broadcast placements, with compositions used across TV and cable programming, reinforcing a key point about his artistry: hooks matter as much as chops. As a leader he frames groove as the engine and melody as the headline blues-rooted themes, jazz-inflected chord movement, and rock-ready dynamics that keep the audience locked in even when the harmony and phrasing get adventurous. The arc of his career is defined less by stylistic pivots than by deepening: the same unmistakable tone applied to increasingly refined writing, increasingly conversational ensembles, and an ever-clearer sense of what makes a guitar line memorable.

Jimmy Haslip

Jimmy Haslip is one of the defining electric bass voices in contemporary jazz-fusion a musician whose career spans virtuosic performance, composition, and a major body of work as a producer. For more than three decades he was a core figure in Yellowjackets; in a 2020 interview he reflected on spending 32 years with the band and then stepping away in 2012 as touring demands collided with a growing production workload and a desire to be closer to family. That long arc helped set the template for modern fusion: a rhythm section that can be both pocket-deep and harmonically agile, supporting strong melodies without sacrificing risk.

Haslip’s role was never limited to “the bass chair.” He shaped sound and direction from the inside, contributing as a writer and as a studio-minded architect of the rhythm section. In interviews he has described making records as a social and musical craft: gathering players, shaping atmosphere, and protecting the song’s identity through the recording process. A JazzTimes conversation captures how seriously he takes that craft, framing production as its own discipline and describing a catalog that runs deep into dozens of albums.

Recognition has followed that breadth. Yellowjackets’ long GRAMMY history is well documented by the Recording Academy, and Haslip’s own credits include multiple GRAMMY wins and a long run of nominations an indicator not just of playing excellence but of sustained relevance across projects and decades. Musically, his signature is lyricism with authority: a full tone, precise articulation, and harmonic intelligence that lets the bass function as both anchor and melodic counter-voice. Even when working at the highest technical level, his lines remain singable always serving the music first, which is exactly why so many artists trust him with the foundation.

Gergő Borlai

Gergő Borlai represents the modern fusion drummer at full bandwidth: explosive technique, deep time, and an ear for arrangement that turns virtuosity into story. Originally from Hungary, he developed early as a professional player in his teens and later expanded into an international career as a session, touring, and recording drummer, as well as a composer and producer. The through-line is not just speed or precision, but the ability to make complex rhythmic information feel like momentum odd meters that breathe, metric shifts that land like downbeats.

Borlai’s discography and live profile connect him to a broad network of high-level fusion and contemporary jazz artists guitar heroes, modern bass innovators, and cross-genre projects where the drummer is expected to carry both precision and personality. Industry bios and festival line-ups regularly cite an unusually high volume of recordings and performances, alongside an awards footprint tied to his work in Hungary and beyond: gold-record acknowledgements, major national prizes, and prominent international visibility.

His career has also been marked by headline milestones in the drumming world. In 2019 he placed third in Modern Drummer’s reader poll for “Best All-Around Drummer,” and in 2021 a legacy manufacturer released a signature snare drum developed with him. A 2025 profile also notes that his 2020 solo album The Missing Song was in consideration for GRAMMY recognition, while his broader public presence has grown through clinics and educator roles that bring his approach to drummers worldwide.

Importantly, those achievements have not pulled him away from the working drummer’s craft; they have amplified it. Borlai’s most consistent calling card is that he makes technical content feel human groove-first, reactive to the band, and always aimed at lifting the music rather than displaying the machinery.

Michele Papadia

Michele Papadia is an Italian keyboardist, composer, arranger, and producer whose career has been built in the engine room of contemporary blues and groove-based music: touring bands, high-pressure sessions, and the day-to-day discipline of making songs work. His musical identity is rooted in Afro-American traditions blues, funk, soul, and jazz filtered through a modern player’s toolkit: Hammond organ authority, electric-piano nuance, clavinet bite, and a producer’s instinct for what a track needs.

Papadia’s profile is strongly tied to long-term collaborations, especially in the international blues-rock circuit where consistency and trust matter. A vivid example comes from Ana Popovic’s own account of making the album Power (2023): Papadia described as working with her for 17 years at that point sent keyboard parts for the earliest demos, and those original parts were kept in the final masters while other elements were recorded around them. It is a telling detail: he is not only a live band member, but a foundational voice in the production chain, shaping arrangement and feel from the earliest stage.

In interviews, Papadia has also described formative “professional rites of passage” that map his path from Italy to the wider touring world: high-level encounters, sessions, and tours that placed him in demanding contexts where taste and reliability matter as much as vocabulary. Those experiences sit behind his practical musical philosophy: the blues is not a museum piece but a living language, strengthened by groove, call-and-response, and the ability to support a singer or guitarist while still adding harmonic depth.

Across his work as a musician and educator, Papadia’s signature is the same: parts that lock the pocket, color the harmony, and make the song feel inevitable—whether on a festival stage or inside the studio, where a great take can become the identity of the record.

Quotes

Hinds

Haslip

Papadia

Borlai

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