Artist picture of Gabor Szabo

Gabor Szabo

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Artist's top tracks

Summertime Gabor Szabo 02:31
The Beat Goes On Gabor Szabo 04:53
Three King Fishers Gabor Szabo 04:48
Galatea's Guitar Gabor Szabo 05:40
Spellbinder Gabor Szabo 05:30
Breezin' Gabor Szabo 03:11
Bloop Bleep Gary McFarland 02:24
If You Don't Want My Love Gabor Szabo 04:37
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Gabor Szabo 02:28
Gypsy Queen Gabor Szabo 05:13

Most popular release

Galatea's Guitar
Half the Day Is the Night
Song of Injured Love
The Fortune Teller

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Biography

Born in Budapest in 1936, Gábor Szabó is a guitarist becoming a pioneer in mixing the traditional folk music of his home country with elements of jazz and rock stylings.

Inspired to play the guitar at an early age by a Roy Rogers cowboy movie, Szabó taught himself to play the instrument and performed in bars and clubs around Budapest, before fleeing to America prior to the Communist uprising.

Szabó attended the renowned Berklee College of Music in 1958 and upon graduating in 1961, joined Chico Hamilton's quintet and asserted himself as one of the finest jazz guitarists around. After performing with the likes of Gary McFarland and Charles Lloyd, he pursued a solo career in 1966, keen for his own compositions to come to the fore. He released debut album 'Spellbinder' in 1966 which featured 'Gypsy Queen', later made famous by Carlos Santana in 1970.

With the emergence of rock music and the guitar becoming more prominent throughout the decade, Szabó experimented further with feedback and fusions with Gypsy, Indian and experimental forms of jazz.

Continuing to release music throughout his life, Gábor Szabó sadly passed away at the age of 45.