Central Jazz Collective was founded in 2021 by conductor and arranger Ábel Tompa. The ensemble's main focus is on mainstream large ensemble jazz, while also embracing original compositions of its members, contemporary classical and popular genres of music. The musicians of the band are some of the top young jazz, classical and session musicians based in and around the Hungarian capital. Since its inception, the Central Jazz Collective has performed at almost all major venues in the country, including the Palace of Arts in Budapest, the Grand Hall of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, the Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre and the House of Hungarian Music, as well as several concerts in Romania, collaborating with artist and other ensembles across all genres. It also collaborated with Robert Scott, the world's number one Sinatra tribute-act. The band also records extensively, with their 2024 album "Cat City" being nominated for "Fonogram Jazz Album of the Year", and the Music Hungary Awards "Crossover Prize", and has done sessions for Grammy-nominated Broadway producer and orchestrator Jesse Kissel and the "Petőfi" Theatre of Sopron. Its first LP is set to release in December of 2026.