REZ SAYS

Hi Friends, Rez is on the Down Beat polls list for best album. If you have a moment, please vote for him in this category and fill in his name in the guitar category as well. Much appreciated! http://www.downbeat.com/ (top banner in red)

RAAQ, Rez Abbasi's Acoustic Quartet, recorded a new album which will be out on Sunnyside Records in September. The quartet features Rez exclusively on acoustic guitars with Bill Ware on vibraphone, Stephan Crump on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. The album features new compositions as well as some surprise arranged covers!!

Mr. Kaylan states: “The overriding question you will likely take into the Asia Society's show of Pakistani artists is, What do they think of what's happening to their country? How do artists address the Islamist violence in their midst—and if they don't address it, why not? A show that so obliquely approaches these questions, as this one does, may score all manner of postmodern points by "subverting" your preconceptions, but it may not give you what you want.”

Rez is on 3 new recordings. One with gifted drummer Sandro Dominelli w/ bassist Chris Tarry. The other with legendary drummer Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock), and the 3rd, with talented composer and saxophonist, Marc Mommaas.

"Things To Come" was including in Down Beat's best CD's of the decade! (Dec. 2009)

I recently wrote a piece about my favorite guitarist, Jim Hall. It is now up on an NPR blog called Take Five. Click the link to read it.
http://tinyurl.com/yf2go35