BELSTA RIVER - Gabor Szabo 1978
Gabor Szabo, Janne Schaffer (g); Wlodek Gulgowski (p,el-p,synth); Pekka Pohjola (b); Malando Gassama (cga,per); Peter Sundell (d).
a. 24 Carat (Gabor Szabo) - 14:00
b. Django (John Lewis) - 4:00
c. First Tune in the Morning (Gabor Szabo) - 13:22
d. Stormy (B. Buie/J.R. Cobb) - 8:25
"BELSTA RIVER does not wear the dated shackles of so much "jazz" made in 1978. While rife with the electronic instrumentation and (somewhat) danceable beats of its predecessor Faces and the final album which follows Femme Fatale, there is an abundant sense of invention and interplay here lacking in Szabo's American recordings at the time. The long tunes allow for plenty of blowing and a refreshing opportunity for expression.
"24 Carat" starts as little more than a jam on a riff (partially borrowed from Tony Dumas's "It Happens"), ignited by the bassist and chockful of vamps familiar to the guitarist. But it's worth noting how much Szabo seems to feel at home here; craftily weaving a fabric of moods into a genuine musical frenzy. Gulgowski and Pohjola, spellbound and spellbinding, solo impressively.
Likewise, "First Tune In The Morning" adds a twist of dark funk (courtesy of Pohjola) It is a mesmerizing concoction wherein Szabo, Schaffer and Gulgowski's keyboards stir a lavish, infectious brew."
from Doug payne
