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Rez Abbasi: A Throw Of Dice

By Dan McClenaghan
October 15, 2019
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Rez Abbasi

guitar, acoustic
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Rez Abbasi has written a score for a 1929 movie—not an everyday jazz endeavor, but that is what the guitarist/composer does with his thirteenth recording. This after-the-fact soundtrack composing, though rare, is not unprecedented. In 2015 guitarist

Aram Bajakian

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Aram Bajakian wrote and self produced a recording—an unofficial soundtrack—to the 1969 Soviet film The Color Of Pomegranates, an exploration of the life of the Armenian poet, Sayat-Nova.

Abbasi, for his inspiration, writes a score for the vintage black and white Indian-German film, A Throw Of Dice, parenthetically subtitled A Romance Of India.

Abbasi's recording, also entitled A Throw Of Dice, is very much a chamber jazz affair, with an Indian tinge. In terms of touchstones for Abbasi's approach—present and past—pianist

Vijay Iyer

piano
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Vijay Iyer and saxophonist

Rudresh Mahanthappa

saxophone, alto
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Rudresh Mahanthappa could be mentioned, for their embrace of American jazz stirred up with the influences of Carnatic (Indian) music; Iyer and Mahanthappa, first generation Indian-American artists, joined the Pakistan-born Abbasi on the guitarist's excellent Unfiltered Universe (Whirlwind Recordings, 2017).

At some points in A Throw of Dice the late 50s/early 60s groups of drummer

Chico Hamilton

drums
1921 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Chico Hamilton could be tagged in terms of a similarity of approach, due to the sound's chamber-like quality and, in part, to Abbasi's addition of the cello and flute to his quintet. Hamilton had

Fred Katz

cello
b.1919

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Katz and

Buddy Collette

saxophone, tenor
1921 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Buddy Collette on these instruments; Abbasi has

Jennifer Vincent

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Jennifer Vincent and Powan Benjamin sitting in the respective chairs.

Abbasi takes inspiration from ragas and Indian rhythms, as well as from jazz, western classical music and rock. His patiently laid out "surf music guitar" chording inside a rhythmically Indian groove on "Moving Forward" is particularly compelling, as is his work with the electric sitar-guitar throughout. Benjamin's jazzy sax slips in and out of the sound, and a plaintive cello cries out on "Changing Worlds."

There are nineteen fairly brief (a minute and a half to six minute) scenes put to music here, a modern/ancient feeling pervades, along with the sense of sterling craftsmanship in the writing and playing. This is fertile ground. India got on the movie-making train early. There must be thousands of films that could serve as soundtrack inspirations.

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Track Listing

Mystery Rising; Hopeful Impressions; Love Prevails; Facing Truth; Amulet and Dagger; Blissful Moments; Seven Days Until News; Duplicity; Jugglers; Snake Bite; Moving Forward; Wedding Preparation; Morning Of The Wedding; Gambling Debt; Boy Changes Fate; Falsehood; Changing Worlds; Chase For Liberation.

Personnel

Rez Abbasi

guitar, acoustic

Pawan Benjamin

saxophone, alto

Jennifer Vincent

bass, acoustic

Jake Goldblas

drums

Rohan Krishnamurthy

percussion

Rez Abbasi: guitars, electric sitar-guitar; Pawan Benjamin: saxophones, western flute, bansuri; Jennifer Vincent: cell, bass; Rohan Khrisnamurthy: mridangam, ghatam, khanjira; Jake Goldblas: drum set.

Album information

Title: A Throw Of Dice | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Whirlwind Recordings

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