Rez Abbasi
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, removed at the age of four to the vastness of Southern California, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, along with a pilgrimage in India under the tutelage of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha, Rez Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of all the above stated influences and genres.
Making New York his home for the past 20 years, Abbasi has developed a unique sound both as a composer and an instrumentalist. He is considered by many to be one of the foremost modern jazz guitar players the world over. Since graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Rez has honed his skills with performances throughout Europe, Canada, the U.S., Mexico and India. He has performed and recorded with many including, Grammy winner Ruth Brown, Peter Erskine, Kenny Werner, Barre Phillips, TIm Berne, Marc Johnson, Billy Hart, Gary Thomas, Dave Douglas, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mike Clark, Tony Malaby, George Brooks, Ronu Majumdar, Kadri Gopalnath, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Marilyn Crispell, Greg Osby, Howard Levy and a host of others.
Among Abbasi’s activities are musical director, arranger and producer for Indian/Canadian Juno award winning vocal sensation, Kiran Ahluwalia. Kiran’s 2008 recording, Wanderlust, was in the top ten European world-music radio charts and also was among the top ten albums of 2008 in the premiere world music magazine, Song-Lines. Her follow up, Aam Zameen (2011) features the Grammy winning Touareg group Tinariwen and garnered the 2011 Juno Award. Another of Abbasi’s highly regarded associations is with heralded saxophonist and composer, Rudresh Mahanthappa. Rez plays an integral role in Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (Innova) and Kinsmen Ensemble (PI). Kinsmen’s album placed in over twenty top ten list’s for 2008. As a result, Rez was interviewed by NPR’s “All Things Considered”, Rolling Stone Magazine India and featured in the New York Times. Rez can also be heard in a variety of other projects.
Read moreTags
Interview
Album Review
- Django-shift by Friedrich Kunzmann
- Django-shift by Karl Ackermann
- Persistence by Edward Blanco
- OASIS by Jerome Wilson
- OASIS by Mark Corroto
- A Throw Of Dice by Friedrich Kunzmann
- A Throw Of Dice by Dan McClenaghan
- Unfiltered Universe by Glenn Astarita
- Unfiltered Universe by Roger Farbey
June 22, 2019
10 New Vinyl Releases Available Now For Ordering – Lee Konitz, Rez...
November 09, 2011
Rez Abbasi - Suno Suno (Enja, 2011)
November 04, 2011
Rez Abbasi's Invocation -- Suno Suno (2011)
September 28, 2010
Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet - Natural Selection (Sunnyside, 2010)
March 19, 2010
Rockyoumentally Interviews: Poogie Bell, Victor Bailey & Rez Abbasi.
December 14, 2009
The Jazz Session #122: Rez Abbasi
September 18, 2009
East Meets West in the Music of Rez Abbasi
August 06, 2009
New Rez Abbasi Disc, "Things to Come" out August 25 on Sunnyside
December 13, 2008
Rez Abbasi and R.O.C. Trio Grounded in Folk Tradition and Jazz...
February 04, 2008
Rez is an extremely talented guitarist and composer… unique and surprising. —Peter Erskine
Producing so vivid a music that it can almost be tasted, Abbasi sounds like no one who has gone before him. His compositions are sheer genius. —All About Jazz
Photos
Albums
Watch
Similar

guitar

guitar

guitar

piano

piano

guitar

piano

clarinet

piano

guitar

bass

guitar, acoustic

guitar, electric

saxophone

saxophone

piano