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Berendt, Joachim, translated by Dan Morgenstern and Helmut and Barbar Bredigkeit, The Jazz Book (Lawrence Hill & Company). 1975. pp. 272-273.

Bruyninckx, Walter (compiler), Fifty Years of Recorded Jazz 1917-1967 -- Volume 36 (self published in Belgium). 1967.

Bruyninckx, Walter (compiler), Modern Jazz (Be Bop/Hard Bop/West Coast) 1942- 1945 -- Volume 6 (self published in Belgium). 1985.

Bruyninckx, Walter (compiler), Progressive Jazz (Free/Third Stream/Fusion) -- Volume 3 (self published in Belgium). 1984.

Carr, Ian, Digby Fairweather and Brian Priestley, Jazz: The Rough Guide (Rough Guides). 1995.

Well written and researched but never very satisfying, this sort of beginner's guide-to-jazz features a brief entry on Gabor Szabo (whose surname here is spelled "Szabö" for some reason). Of the guitarist's recordings, only SPELLBINDER is noted -- with the writers' familiar take on jazz quite apparent: "It doesn't all work, but when it does the results are exhilarating." The Szabo entry also mistakenly refers to Szabo's short-lived group, The Perfect Circle, as First Circle.

CD International (CD World Reference Guide, Popular Music Edition): Winter 1994/95 [since updated]

Claghorn, Charles Eugene, Biographical Dictionary of Jazz (Prentice Hall Inc). 1982.

Consortium of College and University Media Centers, Educational Film & Video Locator -- Volume 2 (R.R. Bower). Fourth Edition 1990-1991. 1990.

Entice, Wayne, and Paul Rubin, Jazz Spoken Here (Da Capo Press). 1994.

A collection of radio interviews conducted by the authors during the seventies with a variety of jazz musicians. A 1976 interview with Gabor Szabo is on pp. 254-268.

Erlewine, Michael, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra and Scott Yanow, All Music Guide to Jazz -- 2nd Edition (Miller Freeman Books). 1996.

The addition of editor Scott Yanow greatly enhances this volume over the first edition, but the listing on Szabo is brief and provides no commentary.

Erlewine, Michael, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra and Scott Yanow, All Music Guide to Jazz -- 3rd Edition (Miller Freeman Books). 1998.

These books continue to improve with each successive edition. Scott Yanow is a significant contributor to the well-written chronicles, covering 1,440 jazz artists and 13,200 jazz recordings. Richard S. Ginell also contributes quality insight to the reliable volume. But the third edition also includes (my) expanded coverage of Gabor Szabo's career and many of his recordings. I also contributed to the sections on Booglaoo "Joe" Jones, Gary McFarland and Oliver Nelson. One of the best -- and easiest to find -- books available on jazz recordings.

Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler, The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the 70s (Da Capo Press). 1976.

Feather, Leonard, The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the 60s (Da Capo Press). 1966.

Anyone with an interest in jazz is doing him or herself a favor investing in both these Leonard Feather books.

Gavin, James, Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne (Atria Books). 2009.

Gavin briefly touches on the musical partnership guitarist Gabor Szabo shared with Lena Horne in this fairly gripping biography of the singer. "Szabo dazzled Horne," writes Gavin. "'He plays fantastic guitar,' she told John Gruen. 'Very down, very soulful guitar.'" Gavin goes on to state that "(a)fter all her years of singing with with orchestras of bountiful lushness, Horne loved Szabo's minimalist playing" but concludes "her partnership with Szabo petered out by the midseventies, as he sank into the heroin habit that eventually killed him." (pp 391-392).

Graham, Bill, and Robert Greenfield, Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock and Out (Doubleday). 1992.

The fabled impressario takes a few paragraphs to detail how in the summer of 1967 (June 20-25), he presented the Jefferson Airplane at the Fillmore Auditorium with opening acts, Gabor Szabo and this "little band from the east," the Jimi Hendryx Experience. After only the first show, members of the Jefferson Airplane asked Hendryx if they could thereafter open for him.

Harris, Steve, Film, Television and Stage Music on Phonograph Records (McFarland & Company).

Holtje, Steve and Nancy Ann Lee (editors), Musichound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide (Visible Ink). 1998.

Well researched and written jazz guide that covers 1300 artists over 1500 pages and rightfully regards Gabor Szabo worthy of inclusion. The mostly fair-minded biography of the guitarist is handled by Eric J. Lawrence and provides a list of recommended albums (though the author has little uses for Szabo's music from 1969 on.

Kernfeld, Barry (editor), The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (MacMillan). Revised 1994.

Leng, Simon: Soul Sacrifice: The Santana Story (SAF Publishing
Ltd.). 2000.

Libisch, Károly, Feketére Festve: Szabó Gábor Gitármüvész Bio-Diszkográfiája [Painted Black: The Biography and Discography of Guitar Player Gabor Szabo], (Kariton). 1993.

The first and only book exclusively devoted to Gabor Szabo and his music is well researched and lovingly assembled. Mr. Libisch provides a great deal of biographical and discographical information, a wealth of detail on Szabo's Hungarian performances and recordings (from 1954-1956 and then again in 1974, 1978 and, finally, 1981) and even adds a glossary of musical terminology to illustrate the diversity in Gabor Szabo's career. The text is in Hungarian and sticks pretty close to the facts but benefits by the inclusion of a clever tree diagram of Szabo's many varied musical aggregates. I am grateful to Sandor Fazekas, a very kind gentleman in Turkey, who brought Libisch's book to my attention and Géza Gábor Simon in Hungary who arranged to get me a copy.

Lord, Tom, The Jazz Discography -- Volume 2 (Lord Music Reference Inc./Cadence Jazz Books). 1991-98.

Tom Lord's compendium is a work in progress that's more comprehensive and logical than every jazz discography ever produced. All 26 volumes were completed, compiled and revised for CD_ROM. Worth whatever price for any jazz aficionado.

Meeker, David, Jazz in the Movies (Da Capo Press), New (2nd) Edition. 1981.

National Information Center for Educational Media, Film and Video Finder -- Title Section (Plexus Publishing). Second Edition. 1989.

Nicholson, Stuart, Jazz Rock (Schirmer Books). 1998. Discography by Jon Newley.

Interesting book briefly notes Szabo's early use of Beatles songs and the current pop/rock tunes his Impulse albums included "as vehicles for improvisation over straight-ahead or light-pop rhythms." The comprehensive discography lists Szabo's Impulse titles (p. 357).

Ruppli, Michel (compiler), Atlantic Records: A Discography -- Volume 2 (Greenwood Press). 1979.

This is included because of listings for the Charles Lloyd Quartet's recordings of "Lady Gabor" (aka "Gypsy '66") during 1966. Although Gabor Szabo was briefly under contract to Atlantic Records in 1978 (FEMME FATALE was recorded for the label, which opted not to release it), no Szabo listings are included here.

Ruppli, Michel (compiler) with assistance from Bob Porter, The Clef/Verve Labels -- A Discography Volume 2: The MGM Era (Greenwood Press). 1986.

Ruppli, Michel and Ed Novitsky (compilers), The Mercury Labels: A Discography (The 1969-1991 Era and Classical Recordings) -- Volume IV (Greenwood Press). 1993.

I love the Ruppli books -- especially these and his Blue Note and Prestige books. One gets an excellent sense of each of these labels, and their incredible history just by browsing the pages. Wish there were Ruppli books for Impulse Records and CTI Records too.

Sallis, James (editor), The Guitar in Jazz: An Anthology (University of Nebraska Press). 1996.

Gabor Szabo is referenced twice in an older essay included here by Leonard Feather, entitled "The Guitar in Jazz" (pp. 1-11). Szabo references appear on pages 8 and 10.

Shadwick, Keith (editor), Gramophone Jazz Good CD Guide, Second Edition (Gramophone), 1997.

In its second edition, the Grampohone people grudgingly included a review of Gabor Szabo's THE SORCERER in this slim volume of elite jazz recommendations. The British editors wax poetic on Szabo's playing, "a peculiar drone-like style and gipsy-like inflections," and the disc's music: "the band coalesces quite successfully and from time to time escapes its contemporary references."

Simon, Géza Gábor, The Book of Hungarian Jazz (Hotelinfo, Ltd.). 1992.  For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Géza Gábor, Hungarian Jazz Discography 1905-1994 (Foundation for Jazz Education and Research in Hungary). 1994.  For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Géza Gábor: Hungarian Jazz Discography 1905-2000 (Foundation for Jazz Education and Research in Hungary). November 2005. For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Geza Gabor: Hungarian Jazz Records 1912-1984 (KISZ
Baranya megyei Bizottsaga - Baranya Megyei Muvelodesi Központ).
1985. For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Geza Gabor: Magyar Jazztörténet [Hungarian Jazz History]
(Magyar Jazzkutatatasi Tarsasag [Hungarian Society for Jazz
Research]), October 1999.  For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Geza Gabor (ed.): Fejezetek a magyar jazz tortenetebol
1961-ig [Chapters from the History of the Hungarian Jazz to 1961]
(Magyar Jazzkutatatasi Tarsasag [Hungarian Society for Jazz
Research]). 2001. For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Geza Gabor: Mindhalalig Gitar [Guitar Forever] (Jazz
Oktatasi es Kutatasi Alapitvany [Foundation for Jazz Education and
Research in Hungary]). 2002.  For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Simon, Geza Gabor: Immens Gut [Forever] (Jazz Oktatasi es
Kutatasi Alapitvany Foundation for Jazz Education and Research in
Hungary]). 2003. For more information, contact info@pannonjazz.hu.

Stewart, Chuck, Chuck Stewart's Jazz Files (Da Capo Press). 1985.

Chuck Stewart, photographer at the JAZZ RAGA sessions, includes a photo of Gabor on page 45 in his expectedly beautiful collection of jazz photography. Another Stewart photo from these sessions is also used in Wayne Entice and Paul Rubin's book, Jazz Spoken Here.

Sugarman, Danny, Wonderland Avenue (William Morrow and Company, Inc.). 1989.

Sugarman got a job in his teens working for the rock band The Doors. After leader Jim Morrison's death, he went on to manage several other rockers, including Iggy Pop. Here, the author of the best-selling "No One Gets Out Of Here Alive" chronicles a druggy, know-it-all tale "of glamour and excess." At one point, Sugarman discusses watching Gabor Szabo do heroin some place "because he had to hide his habit from his wife" (pp. 292-293). The reader follows along in "addict time" but the chronology of the book locates this event circa 1973. According to Sugarman, Szabo shoots up (rather too graphically), then mumbles a meaninglessness stew of nonsense that has something to do with jazz, dope and coleslaw. Eventually, the guitarist just dozes off in mid-sentence. Interesting, as drug tales go. (Special thanks to Steve Brown for this addition).

Summerfeld, Maurice J., The Jazz Guitar: Its Evolution, Its Players and Personalities Since 1900 (Ashley Mark Publishing Co.), 3rd Edition, 1993.

Here, a whole page is devoted -- as it is to a variety of jazz guitarists throughout history -- to Gabor Szabo. With a good sense of his musical style, the listing identifies Szabo's preferred axe (a Martin), provides additional reading sources and recommends several albums.

Tanner, Lee, Images of Jazz (Friedman/Fairfax). 1996.

Tanner's memorable and historic photography includes a montage of Gabor Szabo performing with Sadao Watanabe and Chico Hamilton in 1965 for Boston's WGBH-TV (p. 99) and the photo of Szabo performing at the Jazz Workshop in 1967 (p. 100) is also part of the packaging of THE SORCERER, the recording of that concert.

Vale, V. and Andrea Juno (editors), RE/Search #14: Incredibly Strange Music Volume I (RE/Search Publications), 1993.

A series of interviews and recollections about unusual music, Incredibly Strange Music includes an interview with Amok Books (bookstore and publishers located in Los Angeles, California) founders Stuart Swezey and Brian King (pp 164-187). Discussing their interest in "unusual records," the pair briefly discusses the infusion of raga with other music forms in the 60s: "Jazz guys were always a little bit late picking up on the raga rock fad. GABOR SZABO recorded some jazz-raga records, including JAZZ RAGA." This is the book's only reference to Szabo (page 176).

Kahn, Ashley: The House That Trane Built: The Story Of Impulse Records (W.W. Norton & Company), 2006.

A necessary account of one of the more interesting-ever jazz labels, delivered rather poorly, half-assed and without much fact checking. Impulse Records was home to Gabor Szabo for much of the 1960s. The book makes it clear that revolutionary jazz - inspired by the lead of John Coltrane - is what made the label a bastion of the period's most creative music. But it (almost grudgingly) finds time to give credit to the influence more popular music had on the label's music too. Szabo called it "pop-rock" and Kahn gives him his due on pages 166-169. In what is the book's best feature, Kahn spotlights about three dozen Impulse albums - which, he acknowledges, might not cover everyone's favorites - but, in his mind, signify the inspiration, impact and soul of Impulse records. I disagreed with a few of the choices and was disappointed that none of Szabo's Impulse music was featured (although frequent collaborator Gary McFarland's THE OCTOBER SUITE is one of Khan's justifiable choices). Oh well, no one asked me either. Still, an engrossing read that will have the few of its readers digging through those one-of-a-kind orange and black label LPs and revisiting some of the twentieth century's most beguiling musical statements.

Summers, Andy: One Train Later (Thomas Dunne Books), 2006.

Police guitarist Andy Summers issued his biography shortly before the group's somewhat triumphant reunion tour in 2007. Discussing his influences, on page 68, Summers says, "(a)s well as jazz, I'm pulled toward another sound that's more esoteric. Indian music, the old playing of Hamza el Din, the East European flavor of Gábor Szabó; these sounds catch my ear and I start to experiment with weird open voicings on the guitar that I cannot put a name to." Xavier Corbala, a visitor to this site and the one who made me aware of this reference says that Summers "is very respectful of most jazz guitarists (Tal Farlow, Kenny Burrell, Lenny Breau, Wes Montgomery, etc.) even though his music is not purely jazz, and has very little good to say about most "rock" and "metal" guitarists, considering them poorly trained in theory, harmonics and technique, and thus not having the skills necessary to fully develop as artists.