Gyorgy Szabados: Time Flies

According to the companion press release, pianist/composer Gyorgy Szabados is the “godfather of the Hungarian modern jazz scene”. Here, the artist embarks on a solo flight consisting of Euro-Classical style themes melded with free jazz dialogue. Basically, Szabados employs swirling clusters and lush embellishments in concert with dazzling speed and wonderfully coordinated yet altogether complex left-hand, right-hand techniques.

The pianist implements an endearing ostinato on the piece titled, “My Favourite Dance” as he raises the intensity level via hypnotic passages and climactic opuses. Yet on “Love”, Szabados pursues ethereal dreamscapes in conjunction with huge block chords, whereas he pulls out the stops with rapid right hand single note lines and hybrid jazz/ethnocentric motifs amid a maddening pace. Needless to state, there’s a whole lot going on, as the pianist is seldom at a loss for ideas or ways and means to express his shrewdly envisioned wares.

Overall, Time Flies is a mighty impressive showing by a musician who for many years, was restrained by an inhibiting Hungarian government. However, since a new constitution was approved in 1989, Szabados and other forward thinking Hungarian artists were able to perform with fellow modernists emanating from Western Europe, the United States and other “free” countries. With Time Flies, Gyorgy Szabados’ unique craft and distinguishable musical voice comes to fruition in a huge way!

See February 2001 review of Cafe Electric by the Max Nagl Quintet as we celebrate the refreshingly new “November Music” label.