Anyone wanna talk about Gabor Szabo?

[rookeyhook]

So I just listened to him. Dreams and Spellbinder album. He reminds me to Yusuf Lateef. Hard to explain. He didnt play like most guitarists. But then some of his tune just haunt me!
I dont think many of us like him the way we want it for some reasons.
Any opinions and references to guitarist that has similiar uncommon approach are welcome!

[Danny W.]

Szabo does an amazing job on Chico Hamilton's "A Different Journey"--it's one of my favorite recordings and quite different from his later work..

Danny W.

[docbop]

He did a couple albums in the 70's that I played all the time High Contrast and Magical Connection. The Great Jim Keltner on drums and Wolfgang Meltz on bass another bad ass of the day.

[sgcim]

He recorded one of the first versions of "Breezin'" that Benson heard, and transformed into a huge hit record.
On some versions he's given co-writing credit with Bobby Womack.

He was one of the first jazz guitarists to turn away from the Farlow/Raney bop school, and realize you can make more money playing pop-rock influenced instrumental music. I was surprised to find out that he was a junkie, and that heroin contributed to his early death.
He had a group in LA that featured Judee Sill's ex-husband, pianist Bob Harris, another life-long junkie.
I've always wondered what that band sounded like...

[docbop]

He recorded one of the first versions of "Breezin'" that Benson heard, and transformed into a huge hit record.
On some versions he's given co-writing credit with Bobby Womack.

He was one of the first jazz guitarists to turn away from the Farlow/Raney bop school, and realize you can make more money playing pop-rock influenced instrumental music. I was surprised to find out that he was a junkie, and that heroin contributed to his early death.
He had a group in LA that featured Judee Sill's ex-husband, pianist Bob Harris, another life-long junkie.
I've always wondered what that band sounded like...

Breezin' is the first cut on the High Contrast album I put in my post.

[EddieLastra]

rookeyhook
I have just about all of Szabo's recordings and still enjoy them all, he really does have a unique and exotic sound. Carlos Santana took 'Gypsy Queen' from the Spellbinder album and also made it one of his big hits. You may want to check out the 'The Sorcerer' and 'More Sorcery' albums. They are live nightclub recordings. I've been told by people who were lucky enough to see him play live at some of the nightclubs here in the SF bay area that his music was very magical and captivating. I wish I could have been old enough at the time to get into the clubs to see him

~Eddie

[sgcim]

I always loved his arr. of "People", and have played it on countless gigs when i have to play solo guitar.
I liked some of the stuff he did with Gary McFarland, another drug casualty.

[AndyV]

Szabo was one of my biggest influences. I did a short piece about him in my book, Guitar Dreams. He and Sandy Bull were way ahead of the curve when it comes to world music fusion with jazz and pop.

Szabo's style was filled with cool idiosyncratic elements: clanging open strings; dissonance, articulate jazz runs; Spanish, gypsy, Sitar and Hungarian influences; subtle use of feedback as musical color and all delivered on a Martin flattop with a Dearmond pickup - 180% away from every other jazz guitarist at the time (and since).

I definitely recommend the Sorcery and more Sorcery albums with the first being the better of the two. Second guitarist Jimmy Stewart complemented Szabo's playing quite well. I also dig Mizrab form the 70s, one of the few Creed Taylor productions that actually makes the artist sound better. There's also a good hour-long concert on Youtube from Hungarian TV. I personally feel he's way under appreciated as a unique voice in jazz.

[Stuart Elliott]

rookeyhook, docbop, et al:

Thanks for reminding us of the very talented and creative Gabor Szabo, who should, imo, be remembered as one of the leading jazz guitarists of the 1960s and 1970s. I think it is wrong to dismiss him as someone who sold out and played pop songs in order to make more money. In reality, he made some very fine commercially oriented albums as well as some drek, but that wasn't the sum total of his work. And, when he did pop and rock songs he often infused them with a jazz spirit.

Szabo was a pioneer of electric jazz, jazz rock, or modern rock. He was a pivotal part of the Chico Hamilton and Charles Lloyd groups in the early 1960s. He recorded a very fine series of LPs on the Impulse label including Gypsy'66, Spellbinder, Sorcerer, More Sorcery, Jazz Raga. Szabo had an openness to not only to Hungarian music, but also to rock and Indian music. He put together an outstanding session with Lena Horne (Lena and Gabor) for the Skye label he co-founded.The albums docbop shared are very fine, though I prefer his earlier stuff. By the way, Szabo put aside his pop orientation in the 1970's for two fine LPs Small World and Belsta River which have been recently released on the 2 CD set In Stockholm.

I've always been astounded that Szabo had one of the most electric sounds of any jazz guitarist playing on an amplified flat-top!

Here are two of Szabo's fine Impulse albums. First, Sorcerer.

Then Jazz Raga. Szabo overdubbed the sitar over what had been live to two track recording of his playing guitar with the other musicians on the session.

I should add that it is really not fair to label Gary McFarland as "another drug casualty," since it seems that he was poisoned when someone dropped methadone in his drink.

[sgcim]

rookeyhook, docbop, et al:

Thanks for reminding us of the very talented and creative Gabor Szabo, who should, imo, be remembered as one of the leading jazz guitarists of the 1960s and 1970s. I think it is wrong to dismiss him as someone who sold out and played pop songs in order to make more money. In reality, he made some very fine commercially oriented albums as well as some drek, but that wasn't the sum total of his work. And, when he did pop and rock songs he often infused them with a jazz spirit.

Szabo was a pioneer of electric jazz, jazz rock, or modern rock. He was a pivotal part of the Chico Hamilton and Charles Lloyd groups in the early 1960s. He recorded a very fine series of LPs on the Impulse label including Gypsy'66, Spellbinder, Sorcerer, More Sorcery, Jazz Raga. Szabo had an openness to not only to Hungarian music, but also to rock and Indian music. He put together an outstanding session with Lena Horne (Lena and Gabor) for the Skye label he co-founded.The albums docbop shared are very fine, though I prefer his earlier stuff. By the way, Szabo put aside his pop orientation in the 1970's for two fine LPs Small World and Belsta River which have been recently released on the 2 CD set In Stockholm.

I've always been astounded that Szabo had one of the most electric sounds of any jazz guitarist playing on an amplified flat-top!

Here are two of Szabo's fine Impulse albums. First, Sorcerer.

Then Jazz Raga. Szabo overdubbed the sitar over what had been live to two track recording of his playing guitar with the other musicians on the session.

I should add that it is really not fair to label Gary McFarland as "another drug casualty," since it seems that he was poisoned when someone dropped methadone in his drink.

Being a huge fan of Gary McFarland's music (I even did a number of gigs with Joe Cocuzzo, the drummer on one of his big band LPs "Profiles"), I've read a lot about GM's death.
The real story was that some idiot left behind a bag of drugs in the old 55 Bar in NYC.
Gary decided to use the drugs to get high, and Od'd. Nobody poisoned him by dropping methadone in his drink; he made the fatal decision to take them.

[docbop]

Remember that round combination stool and guitar amp he used for quite awhile. Anyone remember who made those?

[pubylakeg]

AndyV & Stuart Elliot,

Those are really nice tribute posts,

IMO, Szabo had a unique voice on the guitar, and conveyed a real emotional content in his music. He seemed to have a strong connection to the folk elements of Jazz, reminiscent of European gypsy guitarists, but also particularly effective on the Brazilian/South American bossa and samba type tunes.

He was also hip to the underground psychedelic counter cultural movement of that 1966/1967 period.

Still showing the Beatles influence in this clip feat. Kovacs Kati from '74. Love this clip.

[EddieLastra]

Remember that round combination stool and guitar amp he used for quite awhile. Anyone remember who made those?

docbop
I recall a photo of Gabor and that amp in one of the LP album notes, it was a Toby amp

a link to a complete bio about Gabor: http://www.dougpayne.com/bio.htm

[docbop]

docbop
I recall a photo of Gabor and that amp in one of the LP album notes, it was a Toby amp

Cool I remember seeing him on TV once using it too. Thanks.

[rookeyhook]

rookeyhook
I have just about all of Szabo's recordings and still enjoy them all, he really does have a unique and exotic sound. Carlos Santana took 'Gypsy Queen' from the Spellbinder album and also made it one of his big hits. You may want to check out the 'The Sorcerer' and 'More Sorcery' albums. They are live nightclub recordings. I've been told by people who were lucky enough to see him play live at some of the nightclubs here in the SF bay area that his music was very magical and captivating. I wish I could have been old enough at the time to get into the clubs to see him

~Eddie

Thanks mate! Havent check 'The sorcerer' and 'More Sorcerer' yet. I just cant believe how he could really sounds that unique and had played the acoustic guitar at live show like a boss!

[rookeyhook]

He recorded one of the first versions of "Breezin'" that Benson heard, and transformed into a huge hit record.
On some versions he's given co-writing credit with Bobby Womack.

He was one of the first jazz guitarists to turn away from the Farlow/Raney bop school, and realize you can make more money playing pop-rock influenced instrumental music. I was surprised to find out that he was a junkie, and that heroin contributed to his early death.
He had a group in LA that featured Judee Sill's ex-husband, pianist Bob Harris, another life-long junkie.
I've always wondered what that band sounded like...

I also was surprised then. At first I only thought that he might took lots of lsd that it seems has contributed a lot to his dreamy sound.
Eventhough Benson made it a big hit I cant see a slight difference between his and gabor version.

[sgcim]

I also was surprised then. At first I only thought that he might took lots of lsd that it seems has contributed a lot to his dreamy sound.
Eventhough Benson made it a big hit I cant see a slight difference between his and gabor version.

In Larry Coryell's autobiography there's a funny story about how he first met Gabor in the 60s, and they smoked pot together.

Gabor did some trippy things with feedback that took on a hypnotic quality on some tunes.
He definitely brought something new to jazz guitar with his use of open string voicings.
This was particularly effective on his version of "My Foolish Heart" with just Richard Davis on bass.

[AndyV]

Ron Carter on bass.

[Fidelcaster]

This was particularly effective on his version of "My Foolish Heart" with just Richard Davis on bass.

That's one of my all time favorite jazz guitar recordings!

[rookeyhook]

In Larry Coryell's autobiography there's a funny story about how he first met Gabor in the 60s, and they smoked pot together.

Gabor did some trippy things with feedback that took on a hypnotic quality on some tunes.
He definitely brought something new to jazz guitar with his use of open string voicings.
This was particularly effective on his version of "My Foolish Heart" with just Richard Davis on bass.

Wow! With larry? Hahaha

[college harry]

There is a Chico Hamilton performance from the 1958 Newport Festival that includes Mr Szabo featured in "Jazz on a summer's day".Sal Salvador can also be heard with Sonny Stitt.
Harry

[henryrobinett]

I never got Gabor Szabo.

[destinytot]

[QUOTE
Then Jazz Raga. Szabo overdubbed the sitar over what had been live to two track recording of his playing guitar with the other musicians on the session.

[/QUOTE]

I have that album on vinyl, but I remember Gabor Szabo for his playing on Paul Desmond's album Skylark. "For the first and only time, even taking into account the most inspired moments of Jim Hall, Desmond is not the most interesting soloist on his own record, for it is Szabo who most consistently draws you in with his mesmerizing incantations over vamps from the rhythm section." (allmusic.com)

[mr. beaumont]

I dig the Sorcerer and the record he made with Chico Hamilton. But I have a tough time getting into some of the studio stuff under his own name, sounds really "dated" to me...all "swingin' 60's, baby!"

[Fidelcaster]