Gabor Szabo

Hungarian jazz guitarist who worked in America.
Born: 8 March 1936 in Budapest, Hungary.
Died: 26 February 1982 in Budapest, Hungary (aged 45).
An influential jazz guitarist, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock, and his native Hungarian music. Inspired by jazz music heard on Voice Of America radio broadcasts, Szabó began playing guitar at the age of 14. Escaping Hungary in 1956 and moving to the USA where he attended the Berkeley School Of Music in Boston. In 1958, he was also invited to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival. Szabó then went on to perform with the quintet of southern California drummer CTI Records. Szabó died in Budapest in 1982 from liver and kidney disease while on a visit to his homeland.