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Rez Abbasi: When Everything Else Fades, Sound Remains

By Lawrence Peryer | Spotlight On
August 16, 2025
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Today, the Spotlight shines on guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi.

Rez's new album with his Acoustic Quintet, Sound Remains (Whirlwind Recordings), puts steel-string acoustic guitar at the center of a deeply personal meditation on presence and impermanence. The album adds master percussionist

Hasan Bakr

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Hasan Bakr to Rez's long-standing quartet with

Bill Ware

vibraphone
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Ware,

Stephan Crump

bass, acoustic
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Stephan Crump, and

Eric McPherson

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric McPherson, creating what Rez calls music where "often the only thing that remains is sound."

The 2021 Guggenheim Fellow has spent decades finding his voice in jazz, blending his Pakistani roots with American musical traditions. Sound Remains, dedicated to his late mother, finds Rez returning to acoustic intimacy while furthering his exploration of mindfulness through music.

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