Jazz Raga

Description

Gabor Szabo was a fearless innovator, and 1967s Jazz Raga stands as a testament to his experimental brilliance. It is a record stuffed with myriad styles, a cross-section of global influences that include jazz, rock and psychedelic folk tinged with sitars, a Latin-influenced backbeat (courtesy of session drummer Bernard Purdie, whose play here is sterling), as well as traditional European sounds. It is a hypnotic blend, a rich musical fusion crafted by a master artisan. Szabos guitar work on Jazz Raga is among the best of his career, a sublime performance in which Szabos free runs, discordant chords and lilting solos produce a distinct, engrossing sound. From the blissed-out Walking On Nails to the sitar-heavy Mizrab to the inspired cover of Paint It Black, it is clear why Jazz Raga has, in the decades since its release, become an important and influential work for scores of musicians fortunate enough to come across its path.

LP is enclosed in beautifully crafted gatefold jacket and printed on 180-gram vinyl

Liner notes written by Doug Sheppard (Ugly Things, Goldmine), and includes interviews with Bernard Purdie, Rudy Van Gelder and Jack Gregg, unseen photos courtesy of the Szabo family, as well as a rare 1967 interview Szabo gave to DownBeat Magazine.

Remastered from original tapes