Rez Abbasi
Things To Come
Sunnyside Records
www.sunnyside.com
By George W. Harris

Rez Abbasi is a guitarist who has put out a number of fusion/post bop
releases lately. This latest one is intriguing in that Abbasi has
consciously chosen to select musicians from Indian/Pakistan descent,
thereby giving a bit more South Asian tone to the sound. Indian
vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia, along with alto saxist Rudresh Mahanthappa
and pianist Vijay Iyler add a bit of tumeric to the blend of sounds,
with assertive and propulsive music on “Air Traffic” and the title
track. Abbasi’s guitar work is very flexible, with complex harmonies
evident on almost every track. He blends well with Mike Block’s cello
on the sophisticatead “Realities Of Chromaticism.” Definitely not
background music, this is advanced and intellectual artistry.