Gabor Szabo
Gabor Szabo was famous for his mixing of Jazz and his native Hungarian music. Szabó was born inBudapest and began playing guitar at the age of 14, inspired by jazz music on the Voice of Americabroadcasts.[1] He escaped Hungary and moved to the United States in 1956 and attended theBerklee School of Music in Boston.[1] In 1958, he was invited to perform at the Newport JazzFestival. Szabó performed with the Chico Hamilton quintet from 1961-1965.In the late 1960s he co-founded the short-lived Skye record label along with Cal Tjader and GaryMcFarland .[1] On the Skye label, Szabo recorded his a ...read more
Gabor Szabo was famous for his mixing of Jazz and his native Hungarian music. Szabó was born inBudapest and began playing guitar at the age of 14, inspired by jazz music on the Voice of Americabroadcasts.[1] He escaped Hungary and moved to the United States in 1956 and attended theBerklee School of Music in Boston.[1] In 1958, he was invited to perform at the Newport JazzFestival. Szabó performed with the Chico Hamilton quintet from 1961-1965.In the late 1960s he co-founded the short-lived Skye record label along with Cal Tjader and GaryMcFarland .[1] On the Skye label, Szabo recorded his album with Lena Horne in October andNovember of 1969. Szabo had been part of Horne's backup band when she performed at The Nuggetin Nevada in November 1966 and when she performed (with Harry Belafonte) at Caesar's Palace inLas Vegas in September 1969.His playing incorporated elements of folk music from his native Hungary and rock music's use offeedback. His composition "Gypsy Queen" became a hit for Santana in 1970 (see Black MagicWoman). 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, IanFreebairn-Smith, Sally Stevens, Sue Allen and Jackie Ward. During his solo career, he performedwith 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 theCatamaran Hotel in San Diego, he complained to the audience about George Benson's success withBreezin' (composer, Bobby Womack). He indicated that he had recorded that song before Bensonand that Benson had basically stolen the arrangement from him. His version can be heard on theHigh Contrast album with Bobby Womack.He died in Budapest in 1982 from liver and kidney disease while on a visit to his homeland. « hide |
