Gábor Szabó
Encyclopedia
Gábor Szabó was a Hungarian jazz
guitarist
, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music
.
and began playing guitar at the age of 14, inspired by jazz music on the Voice of America
broadcasts. He escaped Hungary
and moved to the United States
in 1956, a year of attempted revolt against Soviet-dominated Communist rule, and attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston
. In 1958, he was invited to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival
. Szabó performed with the Chico Hamilton
quintet from 1961 to 1965.
In the late 1960s he co-founded the short-lived Skye record label along with Cal Tjader
and Gary McFarland
. On the Skye label, Szabo recorded his album with Lena Horne
in October and November of 1969. Szabo had been part of Horne's backup band when she performed at The Nugget in Nevada in November 1966 and when she performed (with Harry Belafonte
) at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas
in September 1969.
His playing incorporated elements of folk music
from his native Hungary and rock music
's use of feedback
. His composition "Gypsy Queen" became a hit for Santana
in 1970 (see Black Magic Woman
). Szabo's album for Impulse!, Wind, Sky And Diamonds, features "The California Dreamers", a vocal-ensemble consisting of Ron Hicklin, Al Capps, Loren Farber, John Bahler
, Tom Bahler
, Ian Freebairn-Smith, Sally Stevens, Sue Allen and Jackie Ward. During his solo career, he performed with artists such as Ron Carter
, Paul Desmond
, Lena Horne
and Bobby Womack
.
Gabor felt he was never fully accepted as a jazz artist in the US. During a 1977 engagement at the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego, he complained to the audience about George Benson
's success with "Breezin'" (composer, Bobby Womack
). He indicated that he had recorded that song before Benson and that Benson had basically stolen the arrangement from him. His version can be heard on the High Contrast album with Bobby Womack.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music
Music of Hungary
Hungary has made many contributions to the fields of folk, popular and classical music. Hungarian folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and continues to play a major part in Hungarian music...
.
Biography
Szabó was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and began playing guitar at the age of 14, inspired by jazz music on the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
broadcasts. He escaped Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1956, a year of attempted revolt against Soviet-dominated Communist rule, and attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In 1958, he was invited to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
. Szabó performed with the Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton , is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.-Early life through 1960s:Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a fast-track musical education in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso...
quintet from 1961 to 1965.
In the late 1960s he co-founded the short-lived Skye record label along with Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
and Gary McFarland
Gary McFarland
Gary McFarland was an influential composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist, prominent on Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s, when he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz"...
. On the Skye label, Szabo recorded his album with Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
in October and November of 1969. Szabo had been part of Horne's backup band when she performed at The Nugget in Nevada in November 1966 and when she performed (with Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
) at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
in September 1969.
His playing incorporated elements of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
from his native Hungary and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
's use of feedback
Audio feedback
Audio feedback is a special kind of positive feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
. His composition "Gypsy Queen" became a hit for Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
in 1970 (see Black Magic Woman
Black Magic Woman
"Black Magic Woman" is a song written by Peter Green that first appeared as a Fleetwood Mac single in various countries in 1968, subsequently appearing on the 1969 Fleetwood Mac compilation albums English Rose and The Pious Bird of Good Omen . In 1970, it became a classic hit by Santana, as sung...
). Szabo's album for Impulse!, Wind, Sky And Diamonds, features "The California Dreamers", a vocal-ensemble consisting of Ron Hicklin, Al Capps, Loren Farber, John Bahler
John Bahler
John Bähler is an American vocalist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer.John Bähler is brother of Tom Bähler and husband of Janet Lennon .-Early career:...
, Tom Bahler
Tom Bahler
Thomas Lee Bähler , is an American singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and producer.He is the brother of John Bähler.-Early career:...
, Ian Freebairn-Smith, Sally Stevens, Sue Allen and Jackie Ward. During his solo career, he performed with artists such as Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
, Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...
, Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
and Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
.
Gabor felt he was never fully accepted as a jazz artist in the US. During a 1977 engagement at the Catamaran Hotel in San Diego, he complained to the audience about George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
's success with "Breezin'" (composer, Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
). He indicated that he had recorded that song before Benson and that Benson had basically stolen the arrangement from him. His version can be heard on the High Contrast album with Bobby Womack.
Death
He died in Budapest in 1982 from liver and kidney disease while on a visit to his homeland, partly to find treatment for the drug habit he had been battling for years.As leader
- Gypsy '66Gypsy '66-Track listing:#"Yesterday" – 2:24#"The Last One to Be Loved" – 3:35#"The Echo of Love" – 4:10#"Gypsy '66" – 7:51#"Flea Market" – 2:43#"Walk On By" – 2:46...
(Impulse!, 1966) - SpellbinderSpellbinder (album)Spellbinder is an album by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Szabo's read on jazz in the '60s was brilliant. He embodied all of its most popular aspirations...
(Impulse!, 1966) - SimpáticoSimpático (Gábor Szabó album)Simpático is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Gary McFarland and Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
with Gary McFarlandGary McFarlandGary McFarland was an influential composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist, prominent on Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s, when he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz"...
(Impulse!, 1966) - Jazz RagaJazz RagaJazz Raga is an album by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "The album received mixed reviews at the time but developed a lasting cult following...
(Impulse!, 1966) - The SorcererThe Sorcerer (album)The Sorcerer is a live album by Hungarian jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1967) - More SorceryMore SorceryMore Sorcery is a live album by Hungarian jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1967 in Boston and at the Monterey Jazz Festival for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1967) - Light My FireLight My Fire (Gábor Szabó album)Light My Fire is an album by Hungarian jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó and American record producer Bob Thiele featuring performances recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
with Bob ThieleBob ThieleBob Thiele was an American record producer who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.-Biography:...
(Impulse!, 1967) - Wind, Sky and DiamondsWind, Sky and DiamondsWind, Sky and Diamonds is an album by Hungarian jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1967 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1967) - BacchanalBacchanal (album)Bacchanal is a 1968 album by Gábor Szabó, released on the label he founded with Cal Tjader and Gary McFarland, Skye Records-Track listing:#"Three King Fishers" - 4: 48#"Love is Blue" - 4:17#"Theme from Valley of the Dolls" - 3:48...
(1968) (Skye RecordsSkye RecordsSkye Records was a music label formed in early 1968 by vibist Cal Tjader, guitarist Gábor Szabó, composer/musician Gary McFarland, and music executive Norman Schwartz....
) - Dreams (1968) (Skye RecordsSkye RecordsSkye Records was a music label formed in early 1968 by vibist Cal Tjader, guitarist Gábor Szabó, composer/musician Gary McFarland, and music executive Norman Schwartz....
) - Gabor Szabo (1968) (Skye RecordsSkye RecordsSkye Records was a music label formed in early 1968 by vibist Cal Tjader, guitarist Gábor Szabó, composer/musician Gary McFarland, and music executive Norman Schwartz....
) - 1969 (1969) (Skye RecordsSkye RecordsSkye Records was a music label formed in early 1968 by vibist Cal Tjader, guitarist Gábor Szabó, composer/musician Gary McFarland, and music executive Norman Schwartz....
) - High ContrastHigh Contrast (Gábor Szabó album)-Reception:Recorded in December 1970 to February 1971 with a lot of contribution from singer, songwriter and guitarist Bobby Womack. This album would feature the original version of Breezin' that George Benson would have a major hit with in 1976...
(1969) (Blue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow, along with former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Krasnow had been in the record business for a number of years, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra...
) - Magical Connection (1970) (Blue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb RecordsBlue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow, along with former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Krasnow had been in the record business for a number of years, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra...
) - Mizrab (1972) (CTI RecordsCTI RecordsCTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 by producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor. Initially, CTI was a subsidiary of A&M Records, but the label went independent in 1970...
) - Rambler (1974) (CTI RecordsCTI RecordsCTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 by producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor. Initially, CTI was a subsidiary of A&M Records, but the label went independent in 1970...
) - Macho (1975) (CTI RecordsCTI RecordsCTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 by producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor. Initially, CTI was a subsidiary of A&M Records, but the label went independent in 1970...
) - NightflightNightflight (album)Nightflight is an album by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó, released in 1976.-Track listing:#"Concorde " – 6:48#"Funny Face" – 2:59#"Baby Rattle Snake" – 6:50#"Theme for Gabor" – 4:20#"Keep Smilin'" – 7:24#"Every Minute Counts" – 6:49...
(1976) (Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
) - Faces (1977) (Mercury RecordsMercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
) - Femme Fatale: Fidelity Recording Studio; Studio City, California (1979, some tracks issued on Pepita International in 1981 & Mambo Records in 1999)
- Gabor Szabo Quartet in Montreux, Switzerland Gabor Szabo; Joe BeckJoe BeckJoe Beck was an American guitarist who had been notable in jazz for more than 30 years.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Beck also briefly flirted with rock music in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
; Mike RichmondMike Richmond (musician)Mike Richmond is an American jazz bassist.Richmond played guitar as a youth but picked up bass during high school. He attended Temple University and taught and played locally in the late 1960s...
; Dannie RichmondDannie RichmondDannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....
; with Bobby WomackBobby WomackRobert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
and Thelonious MonkThelonious MonkThelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
(16 July 1979) (private tape) - Gabor Szabo Quartet: Live in rehearsal at Heatherside Studios, California: Gábor Szabó; Richard Thompson; Gregg Lee; Bob Morin. (c. 1980) (private tape owned by drummer, Bob Morin).
- Pulzus: Gábor Szabó (Gábor Szabó's final recorded performance; Attila Garay and Peter Dando; c. August 1981) (Magyar TV-Film; Budapest)
- Memorabilia (Recorded: 1965-1971. Issued: 1982) (MCA RecordsMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
) - The Szabó Equation: Jazz / Mysticism / Exotica: The Gábor Szabó Sextet (Recorded: 1968. Issued: 1990) (DCC Jazz, Sound Sol, MMS Classix}
- Cuban Nights: Various Artists (Recorded: 1968-1969. Issued in 1998) (DCC Jazz)
- Latin Lounge: Gary McFarlandGary McFarlandGary McFarland was an influential composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist, prominent on Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s, when he made "one of the more significant contributors to orchestral jazz"...
(nine titles with Szabó) (Recorded: 1964-1968. Issued: 1998) (Motor MusicMotor MusicMotor Music is an independent record label located in Berlin, Germany dealing mainly with rock music. It was founded in 1994 and until 2004 was a subsidiary of Universal Music Group....
) - Latin Jazz for Lovers: Various Artists (Recorded: 1968-1969. Issued: 1999 (DCC Jazz (MDF (records))
- Gábor Szabó in Stockholm also as Belsta River (Recorded: 1972-1978. Issued: 2001) (Four Leaf Clover Records)
- High Contrast (Dig): (25 March 2003 CD and MP3 downloads, original release 1970) (VerveVerve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
) - Carlos Santana Influences: Gabor Szabo Quintet et al. From Club Date, KPBS TV San Diego, CA: 23 April 1977 (VHS DCIDCI-Technology:* D-chiro-inositol, an isomer of inositol* Data, Context, and Interaction, an architectural pattern in computer software development* Direct Count & Intersect, an algorithm for discovering frequent sets in large databases...
1995; DVD Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
2004) - Bacchanal & 1969 (Recorded: 1968-1969. Issued: 30 August 2004 (El (records))
- Gary Mcfarland, Lena HorneLena HorneLena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
& Gábor Szabó: Watch What Happens!(Recorded: 1969. Reissued: 16 May 2005) (El (records)) - Gary Mcfarland & Gábor Szabó: Sketch for Summer (Recorded: 1964-1968. Issued: 21 July 2008) (El (records))
- Skylark Paul Desmond (Recorded Nov-Dec 1973 by Rudy Van Gelder) CTI Recording
As sideman
With Chico HamiltonChico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton , is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.-Early life through 1960s:Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a fast-track musical education in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso...
- Passin' ThruPassin' Thru (Chico Hamilton album)Passin' Thru is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1962 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1962) - Man from Two WorldsMan from Two WorldsMan from Two Worlds is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1963 for the Impulse! label. The CD reissue added four compositions from Hamilton's previous album Passin' Thru as bonus tracks....
(Impulse!, 1963) - Chic Chic ChicoChic Chic ChicoChic Chic Chico is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1965 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1965) - El ChicoEl Chico (album)El Chico is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1965 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars stating "The influences of Latin jazz, bossa nova, and the avant-garde are mixed into the unusual...
(Impulse!, 1965) - The Further Adventures of El ChicoThe Further Adventures of El ChicoThe Further Adventures of El Chico is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1966)