Description
Impulse!, 1966
Spellbinder, released in 1966 on Impulse! Records, introduced Hungarian guitarist Gbor Szab to a wider American audience with a set that blends modal jazz, Eastern European folk influences, and 1960s pop textures. Recorded in May 1966 at Rudy Van Gelders Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Bob Thiele, Spellbinder features Szab in a quintet setting with bassist Ron Carter, drummer Chico Hamilton, and percussionists Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja. The groups hypnotic blend of grooves and drones helped establish Szabs signature approach: vamp-based forms, sitar-like guitar articulation, and modal lines shaped by his Eastern European heritage.
The title track, a slow-building vamp, showcases Szabs minimalist phrasing and rhythmic sensitivity. The records standout moment is a reimagining of Sonny Bonos Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), which Szab transforms into a darkly lyrical modal meditation. Elsewhere, the group blurs the lines between jazz improvisation and global rhythms, bridging bop vocabulary with the expanding musical frontiers of the mid-1960s.
The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Tracklist & Credits – 1LP
Tracklist
Side A
- Spellbinder
- Witchcraft
- It Was A Very Good Year
- Gypsy Queen
Side B
- Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
- Cheetah
- My Foolish Heart
- Yearning
- Autumn Leaves/Speak To Me Of Love
The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Shipping & Returns
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We ship to customers in the US and most international countries including in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
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Shipping costs are calculated for each order at check-out and vary based on size and weight of the package and final destination country. Expected delivery times and typical costs for some of our most popular package sizes to USA and Europe:
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STANDARD USA (“SHIP ITEMS TOGETHER”) 5-7 working days |
STANDARD EUROPE (“SHIP ITEMS TOGETHER”) 2-10 working days |
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|---|---|---|
| 1LP | $21 | $56 |
| 1CD | $14 | $46 |
| 3LP | $44 | $78 |
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