Gabor Szabo's quintet featuring Jimmy Stewart was 1 of the guitarist's real best units. Live performances similar this, recorded at Boston's Jazz Workshop, document roughly of the excitement the grouping stirred inwards 1967-1968. Included inwards the 1997 CD reissue are iii fantabulous tracks ("Los Matadoros," "People," in addition to "Corcovado") recorded at the same concert, which originally appeared on More Sorcery. The playing seems inspired, in addition to the interplay inside the grouping is something to behold -- fifty-fifty when performing lightweight tunes similar "The Beat Goes On."
Hungarian guitarist Szabo got his start alongside drummer Chico Hamilton (who likewise discovered Eric Dolphy in addition to Charles Lloyd, amid others), but was shortly off on his ain alongside a unique hybrid of jazz improv in addition to a twang reminiscent of surf guitar. By the 1970s he had descended into Donovan in addition to Carpenters covers (and fifty-fifty those are pretty groovy inwards a hip-kitsch manner), but this CD combines 2 LPs that captured him alive at his 1967 peak. Well, in that place is a Sonny in addition to Cher tune, but it's a expert one. Also featured is a minute guitarist, Jimmy Stewart, in addition to the meshing Eastern-tinged comping of the 2 is every bit hypnotic every bit the title.
My introduction to Gabor Szabo was dorsum inwards the belatedly 1960s when the older blood brother of a lady friend turned me on to his music in addition to the music of a swell many others. I was solely twelve or 13 at the time, but fifty-fifty at that historic menstruation could come across that this was something special.
Over the years, I ended upwardly buying this album in addition to a few other early on Szabo albums in addition to fifty-fifty had the expert fortune to come across him perform alive at the Boojum Tree inwards Phoenix inwards the mid-70s.
I hadn't listened inwards years, however, until latterly a friend I was visiting had it on his CD player.
Ah! The memories it brought back! When I got home, I ordered it hither in addition to when it arrived the music similar a shot transported me dorsum to those halcyon days of long ago. My favorites hither are Little Boat, Lou-ise, Space, Mizrab, in addition to the magnificent Spanish-tinged tour de force, Los Matodoros. Szabo's play is redolent of the mysteries of the Old World in addition to alongside Jimmy Stewart playing inwards counterpoint to him, your listening pleasance is doubled.
Though I concord alongside roughly of the reviewers that The Beat Goes On, People, in addition to Corcovado are cheesy, their inclusion on this CD does non detract from its five-star rating. Those who know the music of Szabo know he had an strange fondness for roughly songs that accept no musical merit but in that place is less of that form of pap hither than on roughly of his afterward recordings.
Anyone who is enjoys jazz or exactly swell guitar playing should hold upwardly interested inwards hearing this. The Sorcerer epitomizes belatedly 60s jazz in addition to that makes it an essential improver to whatever serious fan's CD library.
The commencement fusion recordings are atributed to Miles Davis' belatedly sixties quintet alongside Wayne Shorter, in addition to perchance this is correct, but the jazz/rock/world music (Brazilian/Spanish/Indian) brew that Gabor Szabo was concocting inwards this 1960's session cannot hold upwardly overlooked every bit something inconsequential. It's non solely Szabo's pop/rock leanings but his approach to playing the guitar which should assure his inclusion amid the pioneers of the musical genre that was afterward to hold upwardly called fusion. He oft uses audio effects in addition to drone tones every bit good every bit chords in addition to single-note techniques that were quite exterior the touchstone jazz vocabulary of the time. Aside from that the tape is thick alongside the belatedly 60's atmosphere - I tin exactly motion painting a smoky java family filled alongside smells of coffee, cigarette smoke in addition to incense. It is no surprise that Carlos Santana quotes Szabo every bit 1 his earliest influences.
Some songs meander meaninglessly without developing a cohesive solo, but in that place are roughly others alongside roughly nicely done solos every bit well. He does a swell undertaking on the bossa novas - roughly people volition nation they are cheesy, but you lot accept to call upwardly that inwards the sixties, bossas were absolutely inwards vogue, in addition to so super cool.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dainty album that volition definetly appeal to a greater extent than to the fusion fans than jazz purists.
Time is a funny thing. Dig, today a lot of folks don’t know his name, but dorsum inwards the day, Hungarian gypsy guitarist Gabor Szabo was The Guy. His crystalline, single-note bursts of emotional swing in addition to baroquely romantic effluence made him a latter-day Django. An immensely pop guitarist, Szabo’s music was the soundtrack of alternative for the hip ’70s careerist. At first, known solely to the jazz world, Szabo was elevated into the larger pop consciousness alongside his album The Sorcerer. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 beguiling blend of eastern motifs, Old World noblesse oblige in addition to ripe drama, The Sorcerer was recorded at Boston’s legendary Jazz Workshop alongside his working quartet (Jimmy Smith, guitar; Louis Kabok, bass; Marty Morell, drums; Hal Gordon, percussion). Convincing proof that it is high high fourth dimension for a major reappraisal of Gabor Szabo’s works.
Track listing:
Recorded at The Jazz Workshop inwards Boston, Massachusetts on Apr xiv & 15, 1967
"The Beat Goes On" (Sonny Bono) - 4:52
"Little Boat (O Barquinho)" (Ronaldo Bôscoli, Roberto Menescal) - 4:23
"Lou-Ise" (Jimmy Stewart) - 4:17
"What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Cole Porter) - 5:18
"Space" - 6:40
"Stronger Than Us" (Francis Lai, Pierre Barough) - 4:13
"Mizrab" - 6:58
"Comin' Back" (Clyde Otis, Gábor Szabó) 1:56
"Los Matadoros" - 12:09 (Bonus rail on CD reissue)
"People" (Jule Styne, Bob Merrill) - 5:18 (Bonus rail on CD reissue)
"Corcovado" (Antônio Carlos Jobim) - 3:22 (Bonus rail on CD reissue)
Personnel:
Gábor Szabó - guitar
Jimmy Stewart - guitar
Lajos "Louis" Kabok - bass
Marty Morell – drums
Hal Gordon - percussion
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