Customer Reviews

High Contrast

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This unlikely collaboration with R&B star Bobby Womack is surprisingly successful as an instrumental smooth-jazz guitar session. Womack uncharacteristically takes no vocals, and proves himself a very competent and sympathetic rhythm guitarist. This album feature's Womack's original recording of his composition "Breezin'", which was a smash crossover hit for George Benson. Szabo interprets the melody in his staccato voice, his approach more restrained than Benson's, but captivating in it's own way. "Amazon" has a dark tropical feel. Wolfgang Melz plays solid yet interesting basslines, and his co-composition "Fingers" provides another fine vehicle for extended guitar improvisation. The finale, "I Remember When" features a well-arranged string section that serves as a fine foil for Szabo's take on the country-style melody.

Bobby Womack - Guitar (Electric)
Gabor Szabo - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Mark Levine - Piano
Wolfgang Melz - Bass
Phil Upchurch - Bass
Jim Keltner - Drums
Bruce Botnick - Engineer
Felix "Flaco" Falcon - Conga
Carmelo Garcia - Timbales, Tom-Tom, Tom-Tom
Rene Hall - String Arrangements
Tommy LiPuma - Producer

I believe this disc in many ways was ahead of the curve or one of the forerunners of a subgenre of jazz that is now known as smooth jazz. Recorded in 1971 most pop jazz was typically pop standards reworked into a jazz idiom; George Benson's recording of Beatles songs come to mind as well as Wes Montgomery. This disc maintains true jazz integrity with improvisation yet unveils the smooth side of jazz. It is actually quite an accomplished bit of interaction by soul-ballader-singer Bobby Womack(later known for a classic of smooth jazz entitled "What You Won't Do For Love)who does not sing here but rather plays electric guitar. The distinct fret work by Hungarian Gabor Szabo is hard to describe but he bends his notes in a gypsyesque-rock-jazz style that was definitely his own style. Once you here his work you will always be able to distinguish his style.The song made famous by George Benson but written by Bobby Womack, "Breezin"(later a smooth jazz monster hit)is a song you will want to here over and over. It is so pure and perfect and the interaction by Womack and Szabo is complete harmony on guitar. Another song that is very melodic is "Azure Blue" where the guitar work by Womack reminds me of George Benson at times but the Szabo twang interacts to create an element of foreign distinction. Four of the tracks are penned by Womack including "Just a Little Communication" that features more of the duo guitarists in sync."If You Don't Want My Love" is a breezy ballad that shifts tempo but always stays on track and during certain parts sounds like Wes Montgomery. This is original music that establishes a style and receipe that others would adhere to and capitalize from years later. This is an original smooth jazz disc with attitude before their was a genre.

It is not actually smooth jazz neither pop jazz but has tiny spots from both of these fields with a bluesy mix . A very pleasant listening indeed . GUITARIST Gabor Szabo plays in a very sentimental and romantic way in most of the compositions of the album keeping your attenion focused mainly in music .IF YOU DONT WANT MY LOVE excells .

With da "help" or da touch of bobby womack, gabor give us such a
good moment of guitar jazz, it s so clear and crystal, u ll like
the purety of this album...

I discovered this album at Vauxhall Station in London in 1990 when I was on my way to watch some live cricket. The fact that I remember this tells you what I think of this album. I don't quite know why I like it so much. It has its bland moments and features a number of cover versions of Bobby Womack tracks but Gabor Szabo and Bobby Womack combine beautifully to create my desert island summer record. And Jim Keltner's drumming is fabulous.

I saw a bootleg copy of this in a cd shop in Pristina, Kosovo recently and asked the guy who owned the shop if he had heard it. he hadn't so he put it on. Within 5 minutes, and after the original version of Breezin' had permeated through the shopping mall two Kosovar shop owners came in and said how brilliant it was. Good enough for me.

I am a great fan of Gabor Szabo but I feel strongly that the essence of his greatest contributions to music is concentrated in the formative years when he created music like that heard on Jazz Raga and Spellbinder. So it is hard for me to give this recording the five stars those albums would always get but I definitely like a good portion of High Contrast. Every worthwhile artist tries to move along into different sounds and Gabor was always looking to mix with the popular vein to some groovy extent. I would sum this album up as some very nicely orchestrated and well played "acid jazz". The first four tracks are good to excellent, Breezin' is as nice as Benson's later interpretation. The remaining three tracks were noticeably more akin to a disco / smooth jazz sound and I lost interest pretty quickly. But it is very well done and does display a fair taste of Gabor's always unique and expressive guitar style, especially the first part of the album. I was relieved to see that Bobby Womack didn't make this into something that Gabor might not fit in with, no singing thankfully (although I am fond of some of Gabor's quirky vocalizations from the 60's), and definitely a Szabo album. Szabo fans should add this to their collection as I have. If you're new to this special musician, you may like this, High Contrast is something anybody will find pleasant if not very likeable. However, a true jazz fan will probably prefer the earlier works as I have mentioned but it isn't for everyone.

Szabo is a bit hard to categorize or describe for that matter. A master with the guitar for sure, and a major influence on many others as well. His music is refined, easy to listen to and expertly done. I'm no expert but I've listened to a lot of guitarists in lots of genre's and this man has one of, if not _the_, cleanest sound I've heard. Not a note wrong and there's a sense of listening to someone who's so good they make it sound easy.

The music on this CD is typical of Gabor's work, so it would be a good introduction to him -- and a good addition if you've already got something else by him. Listening to his work with/around/behind Bobby is pretty amazing stuff. Like most of Szabo's recorded work, the CD is a mix of pop with a jazz flavor and jazz with pop sensibilities. If you're looking for serious stuff, keep on looking, its not here. Gabor's music is the kind of jazz you can get your grandma to listen to. But it will also repay repeated, careful listenings. Bottom line? Light weight but excellent music, superb artist with the guitar.