In June, Seattle label Light in the Attic reissued masterly Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó's 1967 LP, Jazz Raga. The premise promises a stunning fusion of Indian classical music and hip, Nehru-jacketed astral jazz—maybe something like Ravi Shankar jamming with Pharoah Sanders?—but the reality is not quite so mind-blowing.

Don't get me wrong: Jazz Raga is a good album (drummer Bernard Purdie is always worth hearing), but the record could stand to be a bit less buttoned-down, less psychsploitation-y ("Sophisticated Wheels" is a rare exception). Nevertheless, Szabó's spidery, intricate guitar flourishes and preternatural melodic grace consistently tantalize; unfortunately, the sitar embellishments sound overly polite when you wish they would sear. The spirited version of "Paint It Black" is welcome, but covers of "Caravan" and "Summertime" were eye-rollingly commonplace even 43 years ago. One wishes Szabó and his label back then had made more imaginative choices in that regard.

Still, Jazz Raga is an interesting curio and a lovely mood-setter for when you're entertaining special people.

You can hear samples of the tracks and purchase Jazz Raga here.

Press release after the cut.

Light In The Attic's latest release - No. 53 in our catalog - is this gem of a record from 1967 by the noted avant-garde jazz musician Gabor Szabo. Szabo was a fearless innovator, and Jazz Raga stands as a testament to his experimental brilliance. It is a record stuffed with myriad styles, a cross-section of global influences that include jazz, rock and psychedelic folk tinged with sitars, a Latin-influenced backbeat (courtesy of session drummer Bernard Purdie, whose play here is sterling), as well as traditional European sounds. It is a hypnotic blend, a rich musical fusion crafted by a master artisan. Szabo’s guitar work on Jazz Raga is among the best of his career, a sublime performance in which Szabo’s free runs, discordant chords and lilting solos produce a distinct, engrossing sound. From the blissed-out “Walking On Nails” to the sitar-heavy “Mizrab” to the inspired cover of “Paint It Black,” it is clear why Jazz Raga has, in the decades since its release, become an important and influential work for scores of musicians fortunate enough to come across its path.

• Influenced scores of classic albums from Beck’s Odelay to Santana’s Abraxas
• First time released on CD, and first LP reissue
• CD includes 40-page color booklet
• LP is enclosed in beautifully crafted gatefold jacket and printed on 180-gram vinyl
• Liner notes written by Doug Sheppard (Ugly Things, Goldmine), and includes interviews with Bernard Purdie, Rudy Van Gelder and Jack Gregg, unseen photos courtesy of the Szabo family, as well as a rare 1967 interview Szabo gave to DownBeat Magazine.
• Remastered from original tapes