A Hungarian-born guitar virtuoso, Gabor Szabo went to the famed Berklee School of Music and started his career playing alongside Chico Hamilton, Charles Lloyd, and Gary McFarland. He started releasing albums under his own name in 1966, working for prestigious labels like Impulse!, CTI, and Blue Thumb and putting out nearly two dozen titles before his 1981 death. Fusing influences from his native Budapest, contemporary pop and rock, and more Far Eastern sounds, his unique sound captivated serious jazzheads, casual fans, and hippies alike. Originally released in '66, Jazz Raga finds Szabo adding sitar to the mix, playing with a lineup that includes legendary drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie in a session recorded by the great Rudy Van Gelder. Mostly instrumental with Gabor delivering his deadpan vocals on a few tracks, this is an absolute classic that sounds like nothing else before or since. Highlights include the gypsy vibe of "Caravan" and the mystical sounds of "Raga" and "Searching for Nirvana," plus the Stones cover "Paint It Black."