What lingers after SOUND REMAINS is the deep musical connection between Abbasi and his band—a chemistry that shapes every phrase and groove.
Whirlwind Recordings
Rez Abbasi – Guitar; Bill Ware – Vibraphone; Stephan Crump – Bass; Eric McPherson – Drums; Hasan Bakr – Percussion
Rez Abbasi doesn’t sit still. For more than 30 years, he’s followed a restless creative path, always exploring, always questioning. What ties it all together is his voice on the guitar—fluid but angular, deeply lyrical and full of surprise, blending the traditions of South Asia with modern jazz. SOUND REMAINS, his 17th release and the third from the Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quintet, brings him back to the acoustic guitar. “I wanted to reconnect with the intimacy of my acoustic group,” Abbasi says. It’s not a pivot—it’s a continuation of ideas he’s been refining, this time with new material and a slightly different cast.
Joining Abbasi again are vibraphonist Bill Ware, bassist Stephan Crump, and drummer Eric McPherson—familiar names to anyone who’s followed the group’s earlier albums, NATURAL SELECTION or INTENTS AND PURPOSES. But this time there’s a new voice in the mix: percussionist Hasan Bakr, born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in the Gullah-Geechee tradition, channels rhythms steeped in call-and-response, repetition, and spiritual intensity. His playing adds a raw, earthy pulse, grounding the group with a deeper, ritualistic energy.
Abbasi plays steel-string acoustic guitar throughout—a choice that’s unusual in jazz, where nylon-string or electric guitars are the norm. Steel-strings can sound sharp and short-lived, with less sustain and dynamic control, but Abbasi turns those qualities into assets. His tone has a bell-like clarity, rich in overtones without ever sounding harsh. The quicker decay opens up space in the mix, giving the group’s interplay more room to breathe. It’s a crisp, tactile sound—one that adds edge and presence while blending naturally with the ensemble.
The album opens with ‘Presence,’ a flowing 12/8 groove that sets the tone—calm but alert. Abbasi’s steel-string guitar has a crisp, picked articulation; you can hear the metallic snap of the strings as he threads short, expressive phrases through the texture. Bill Ware keeps his vibes clipped and responsive, rarely letting notes ring out—mirroring Abbasi’s phrasing. Bakr’s percussion adds subtle rhythmic color—hand claps, light taps—blending with Eric McPherson’s understated drumming and Stephan Crump’s flexible, singing bass lines. The whole band seems to breathe together. Nothing feels rushed, but everyone’s tuned in, pulling in the same direction.
That empathy shines again on ‘Folk’s Song,’ a quiet duet between Abbasi and Ware. Written in the wake of Abbasi’s mother’s passing, it feels like a meditation on grief, gratitude, mortality, and memory. It’s simple, unhurried, and more powerful because of it. You can hear the occasional squeak of fingers on strings—an unpolished, physical detail that suits the directness of the piece. The vibes are right there, the two voices moving together with quiet purpose. That reflective tone carries into Abbasi’s solo reading of Keith Jarrett’s ‘Questar.’ His phrasing leans into folk and even a little country, and when the rest of the group comes in—vibes, percussion—it expands gently before fading away.
But the album isn’t all calm waters. ‘Spin Dream’ shifts gears with quick turns between groove and swing, the drums and percussion more intense, almost restless. Their take on Coltrane’s ‘Lonnie’s Lament,’ played on fretless guitar, is loose and searching—low, plucked guitar notes over a growling bowed bass and shimmering cymbals, with the vibes bubbling underneath. The title track, ‘Meet the Moment,’ starts in fragments—strummed guitar, a few repeated phrases—and gradually builds into a taut exchange between guitar and vibes, full of energy and give-and-take.
What lingers after SOUND REMAINS is the deep musical connection between Abbasi and his band—a chemistry that shapes every phrase and groove. “Eric’s use of space complements Hasan’s rhythmic feel beautifully. Bill’s sound on vibes is uniquely his own. And Stephan’s presence on bass is commanding,” Abbasi says. “We captured something truly special on this record.” He adds, “This album is about being in the moment.” And he means it. Nothing here feels forced. Nothing is wasted. The moment is the music—and it’s a good one to sit with.
