Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966) {2026 Verve Vault Series}

Gábor Szabó's groundbreaking 1966 album Spellbinder, originally released on Impulse! Records, is set for a premium all-analog reissue on March 13, 2026, as part of the acclaimed Verve Vault Series.

This quintet recording, captured at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Bob Thiele, introduced the Hungarian guitarist to a wider American audience through its hypnotic fusion of modal jazz, Eastern European folk influences, and 1960s pop textures. Featuring all-star collaborators like bassist Ron Carter, drummer Chico Hamilton, and percussionists Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja, tracks such as the title vamp "Spellbinder" and a haunting reinterpretation of Sonny Bono’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” showcase Szabó’s signature sitar-like guitar tones and rhythmic innovation. The iconic “Gypsy Queen” also became a jazz standard, later covered by Santana.