Magical Connection

Magical Connection
Studio album by Gábor Szabó
Released	1970
Recorded	May 27, June 3, 5, 10, 13, 15 & 27 and July 8, 1970 Los Angeles, California
Genre	Crossover jazz
Length	35:23
Label	Blue Thumb BTS 8823
Producer	Tommy LiPuma
Gábor Szabó chronology
Lena & Gabor (1969) Magical Connection (1970) High Contrast (1971)

Magical Connection is an album by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó featuring performances recorded in 1970 and released on the Blue Thumb label.^[1]

Reception[]

The Allmusic review states "Consciously more percussive -- and more commercial -- Szabo's newly formed sextet was clearly up to the challenges of combining rock with jazz. More an instrumental-pop confection, Magical Connection doesn't quite live up to its promise. But even as Szabo covers pop hits by Lulu, Crosby, Stills & Nash and John Sebastian, he often plays with great wit and solos with energetic dexterity".^[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Track listing[]

1. "Sombrero Sam" (Charles Lloyd) - 5:14
2. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:04
3. "Country Illusion" (Wolfgang Melz) - 3:45
4. "Lady With Child" (Chuck Blore, Jerry Wright, Don Richman) - 3:45
5. "Pretty Girl Why" (Stephen Stills) - 3:31
6. "Hum a Song" (Richard Ross) - 3:32
7. "Magical Connection" (John Sebastian) - 4:26
8. "Fred and Betty" (Gábor Szabó, Richard Thompson) - 4:53
9. "Love Theme from "Spartacus"" (Alex North) - 3:13

• Recorded in Los Angeles, California on May 27 (track 1), June 3 (track 6), June 5 (tracks 4 & 7), June 10 (track 3), June 13 (track 5), June 15 (track 2), June 27 (tracks 5, 8 & 9) and July 8 (overdubs), 1970

Personnel[]

• Gábor Szabó - guitar
• Lynn Blessing - vibraphone
• Richard Thompson - keyboards
• Wolfgang Melz - bass
• Jim Keltner - drums
• Emil Richards, Hal Gordon - percussion
• Erno Neufeld - concertmaster
• George Kast, Marilyn Baker, Jack Gootkin, Henry Ferber, Ambrose Russo, Leonard Malarsky, Jerome Reisler - violin
• Allan Harshman, Myron Sandler - viola
• Anne Goodman, Frederick Seykora - cello
• Jules Chaikin - contractor
• Nick DeCaro - keyboards arranger, conductor

Charts[]

Album – Billboard

References[]