On The Complete Gabor Szabo in Budapest, the legendary guitarist’s rare Hungarian recordings from the ‘70s and ‘80s receive a definitive release on EBALUNGA!!!
Arriving July 7th, 2025, The Complete Gabor Szabo in Budapest unearths a pivotal, deeply personal chapter in the story of the pioneering Hungarian-American guitarist. For the first time, this comprehensive anthology from Austrian label EBALUNGA!!! collects Szabó’s Hungarian TV and radio recordings from his return visits to his homeland in 1974, 1978, and 1981. This isn’t just another archival dig; it’s the sound of an artist reconnecting with his roots, a sonic document of an exile’s poignant return.
The collection is a study in duality. Disc one pairs Szabó with Hungarian jazz royalty like bassist Aladár Pege and vocalist Kati Kovács, their interplay crackling with the energy of a long-overdue reunion. The second disc offers a rare 1978 televised concert from the Budapest Hilton, culminating in the achingly beautiful “From a Dream,” Szabó’s final known recorded performance from 1981. The music navigates the space between his American cool and his Hungarian soul, creating something both familiar and profoundly new.
The 2LP gatefold is a work of art, featuring a stunning, hand-wrought design by Anton Bogdanov and an essential essay by Szabó biographer Douglas Payne. Grammy-nominated engineer Jessica Thompson, who has helmed the label’s previous four Szabó releases, works her restorative magic on the mastering. Also available in a handsome 2CD digipak.
Tracklisting
- Magical Connection
- My Foolish Heart / Fly Me To The Moon
- Az Eso Es En
- Sombrero Sam
- Django
- Thirteen
- My Love
- Reinhardt
- Concorde (Nightflight)
- Magic Mystic Faces
- Django
- Stormy
- Killing Me Softly With His Song
- The Last Song
- The Biz
- From A Dream