USA/PAKISTAN: Rez Abbasi - Unfiltered Universe (Whirlwind 2017)

Completing a trilogy of albums whose compositions are infused with the various, colorful strands of traditional music from his Pakistani/Indian homeland, New York guitarist Rez Abbasi’s Unfiltered Universe presents the line-up of pianist Vijay Iyer, alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller and drummer Dan Weiss, plus guest appearances from renowned classical cellist Elizabeth Mikhael. Previous releases Things to Come and Suno Suno focused, respectively, on Hindustani and Qawwali music, whereas this collection of seven new numbers explores and embraces the more rhythmically exuberant, South Asian elements of Carnatic instrumental music.

USA/PAKISTAN: Rez Abbasi & Junction – Behind the Vibration (CUNEIFORM 2016)

1. Holy Butter. 9:00
2. Groundswell. 8:14
3. Inner Context. 8:33
4. Uncommon Sense. 8:55
5. And I You. 3:12
6. Self-Brewing. 6:20
7. New Rituals. 9:06

Personnel: Rez Abbasi: guitar & composition; Mark Shim: tenor saxophone & midi wind-controller; Ben Stivers: keyboards, B3 organ, Rhodes; Kenny Grohowski: drums

USA/Pakistan: Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet — Intents And Purposes (ENJA 2015)

The Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet features Rez Abbasi: steel string,baritone and fretless guitars; Bill Ware: vibraphone; Stephan Crump: acoustic bass and Eric McPherson: drums


Rez Abbasi's career develops in solid steps as does his touring schedule in the US and Europe. DownBeat devoted a 'Letter by the Editor' and excellent reviews to his previous albums. The concept of this new production is simply brilliant as he presents great well known titles in a yet unheard way.


The Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet re-imagines Jazz-Rock classics from Return To Forever, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Mahavishnu, Larry Coryell, Pat Martino, Bill Cobham,Tony Williams. Audiences can hear many of these electrified tunes from the 70's played in a modern acoustic setting for the first time.
Review
Mr. Abbasi succeeded in making some fairly cerebral intricacies feel intuitive and touched by a higher source. --The New York Times
An amazing guitarist...unique and beautiful music and best of all very original...I'm really impressed.--Pat Metheny
One of jazz's most intriguing journeys - Abbasi takes a bold step in resisting any stereotyping.--JazzTimes
In his hands, the globe's music feels relentlessly new and progressive. --LA Times

If you're like me, one of the things that irritates you about 1970s-era jazz-rock fusion is the frequent overproduction, which often came across as an attempt to gussy up the sonics while at the same time dumbing-down the music itself. For this fascinating and brilliant album, guitarist Rez Abbasi takes a handful of classics of the fusion genre and strips away all that stuff, performing them with an acoustic quartet (guitar, vibes, bass, drums) and revealing several of them (notably Weather Report's 'Black Market' and Herbie Hancock's 'Butterfly') to have quite a bit more substance than we might have suspected at the time. On a few tracks Abbasi plays a fretless guitar, which adds a strange and kind of nifty timbral dimension to the group s already unique sound. A must for all jazz collections.--Rick Anderson --CD HotList

In his hands, the globe's music feels relentlessly new and progressive. --LA Times

http://www.reztone.com

Philanthropist Bringing Jazz Back to Pakistan - Speakeasy - WSJ

Philanthropist Bringing Jazz Back to Pakistan - Speakeasy - WSJ

Read the Full Story HERE

New Release
Sachal Studios Presents
"JAZZ AND ALL THAT"
In Memory of Dave Brubeck

Live Appearance with
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis collaborates with the Sachal Jazz Ensemble
Friday, November 22nd 8PM Rose Theater

Official YouTube Video

Everybody Hurts (Ya Rab) - Sachal Studios' Orchestra 

Watch It HERE

“Listening to this exotic version of “Take Five” brings back wonderful memories of Pakistan where my Quartet played in 1958. East is East, and West is West, but through music the twain meet. Congratulations!” “This is most interesting and different recording of “Take Five” I’ve ever heard. —Dave Brubeck Live Appearance New York, NY – November 22nd, 2013 The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis collaborates with the Sachal Jazz Ensemble, master musicians from Pakistan who incorporate ancient instruments, such as sitar, sarod, tabla, and dholak into the sounds and rhythms of iconic jazz repertoire. This collaboration is JALC’s latest installment in a string of cross-cultural investigations, which have paired the JLCO with musicians from Ghana and Spain, among others, as the organization actualizes its mission to make jazz available globally by interfacing the sounds of jazz, grounded firmly in American values of blues and swing expression, with an international array of musical languages and configurations. 2012 Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is currently filming this remarkable ensemble for a documentary that will be released in 2014, which will conclude with the Sachal Jazz Ensemble’s highly anticipated collaboration with the JLCO.   Artist: Sachal Studios Orchestra Title: JAZZ AND ALL THAT Label: Imagine Music Catalog Number: SM026 Release Date: September 10, 2013 Track Listing 1. You’ve Got It Bad Girl (Wonder) 4;49 2. If You Go Away (Brel) 4:39 3. Moonlight In Vermont (Suessdorf/Blackburn) 4:40 4. Monsoon (Afzal) 5:14 5. The Pink Panther (Mancini) 5:07 6. Ponteio (Lobo) 6:02 7. Eleanor Rigby (Lennon/McCartney) 3:41 8. Blue Rondo A la Turk (Brubeck) 4:12 9. Kafi Jazz (Five Rivers) (Abbas) 4:36 10. Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.) 5:50 11. Wave (Jobim) 5:26 12. To The End Of The World (Metheny/Mays) 6:29 13. Morning Has Broken (Traditional) 5:33 Musicians: Sachal Studios Orchestra Sitar: Nafees Ahmed Khan Tabla: Ballu Khan Dholaks & Percussion: Rafiq Ahmed and Najaf Ali Cello: Umar Draz, Ghulam Abbas and Waqas Ali Violin: Saleem Khan, Altaf Hydar, Javaid Ali, Akbar Noushad, Kaleen Khan, Mukhtar Hussain, Mohammed Ilyas, Kahwar Hussain, Akbar Abbas, Sakhawat Ali, Babar Baila, Nadeen Ahmad, Fazal Hussain, Aqeel Anwar, Chand, Ghulam Hussain, Ghulam Ali, Riasat Hussain, Mubarak Ali, Abid Ali, Akram Farooqi, Amjad Ali, Basharat Ali and Nijat Ali. UK Musicians: Trumpet/Flugel: Derek Watkins Percussion: Chris Wells Piano: Steve Lodder Bass/Harmonica: Philip Achile Harp: Sally Price Sarod: Soumik Datta Guitar: John Parracelli Ghatam: Bangalore Prakash Moorsing (jewsharp): Kandiah Sithaparanatha Chorus: Abbie Osman, Alice Fearn, Claire Henry, Joanna Forbes, Mary Carewe, Rachel Weston, Sarah Ryen, Soophia Foroughi, Yona Dunsford. Metro Voices- Choir Master Jenny O’Grady Studio Credits: Original Recording by Munir Kokab Assisted by Samuel(Pinku) Suleimen-Waheed Sachal Studios, Lahore, July 2011-Feb 2013 Additional Recording ‘Monsoon’ Sam Okell, Abbey Road Studios- London 2010 Additional recording by Christoph Bracher Assisted by Sameer Khan & Drew Smith, Assault & Battery Studios, London. March-April 2013 Final Mixing by Christoph Bracher Assisted by Sameer Khan, Assault & Battery Studios, London. May 2013 Mastering by Sam Okel, Abbey Road Studios, London May 2013 All tracks arranged by Izzat Majeed, Assisted by Nijat Ali UK session & studio work coordinated by Jay Visvadeva Artwork Concept by Izzat Majeed, Artwork & Graphics Kikuchi This album carries lasting memories of the late maestro Riaz Hussain Track Listing Info: 01   You’ve Got It Bad Girl (Stevie Wonder) The track is intended as homage to the genius of Stevie Wonder.  This version creates fresh sounds of the flute, sitar, harmonica and piano. Balu Khan’s tabla and rhythm further enhance the uniqueness of the arrangement with the string section bringing a swing to the track.  Ever since I heard this song in the early 19702, I remained glued to Stevie Wonder’s heart aching melody and Quincy Jones’ arrangement soon after.  I have arranged it with both masters in mind. 02   If You Go Away/ Ne Me Quitte Pas (Jacques Brel) The arrangement is based on the flute that carries the sadness of the song.  Yet as the sarangi swells along with the orchestra there comes the promise of hope.  I always remember when I first heard Shirley Horn’s version and she has inspired me to make this track. 03   Moonlight In Vermont (Karl Suessdorf/ John Blackburn) The origins of this track may well be inspired by the U.S. State of Vermont, but in the arrangement of this well loved song I call it the Moonlight in Lahore! 04   Monsoon (Wazir Afzal) Monsoon is based on the classical music of South Asia.  It is inspired by raga Shankara.  All of us who made this album are deeply saddened at the death of Derek Watkins who was a great musician (trumpet, flugel) and a mentor to me.  Sachal Studios dedicates this composition in his memory. 05   The Pink Panther Theme (Henry Mancini) Need on say more?  At the first notes of this track the audience cheered when the Sachal Studios Orchestra played it at the Alchemy Festival (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, April 2012. 06   Ponteio (Edu Lobo) Ponteio’s structure sounds close to the traditional music and songs of the Punjab.  The harmonica plays a wonderful reminiscence of Toots Thielemans in his collaboration with Edu Lobo. 07   Eleanor Rigby (Lennon-McCartney) An ode to loneliness.  The beauty of the arrangement is the minimal instrumentation.  It is a new take on an evergreen classic.  I was thrilled with the vigour with which the Sachal Orchestra played the original song.  The chorus is singing the ‘sargam’ known in the West as solfège (sol-fa in English). 08   Blue Rondo à La Turk (Dave Brubeck) A masterpiece of music.  Dave Brubeck went round the world to listen to all forms of music in different cultures and come back with global rhythms which he used uniquely to give jazz a new world.  His compositions will be eternal jazz.  Dave Brubeck was pleased with Sachal Studios’ ‘Take Five’ and sent his congratulations when it topped the charts globally. 09   Five Rivers (Kafi Thaat) It is composed in Kafi Thaat and carries a mix of ragas just like the five rivers of the Punjab (which translates as “Five” and “Rivers”).  A Thaat is a musical scale, conceived of as a Western musical scale might be, with the seven notes presented in their order of ascent (arohan). 10   Everybody Hurts (REM) Sad, full of pathos, about us, not always able to deal with hurt.  The chant “Ya Rab” means O Lord. 11   Wave (Antonio Carlos Jobim) The arrangement of this track combines the subtle beauty of Bossa Nova with an eastern interpretation that is fresh and unique.  The flute balanced with the guitar, harmonica and piano provide a sensuousness and charm that is enhanced by the string section and the Brazilian-tinged percussion accompaniment. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s most successful album brought global success to his Bossa Nova.  Oscar Peterson’s mesmerizing interpretation and Frank Sinatra’s rendition is amazing. 12   To The End of the World (Pat Metheny) The sitar is a magical tribute to Pat Metheny’s guitar.  The strings of Sachal Studios are full of life. 13   Morning Has Broken (Traditional) A tune composed in the Scottish Highlands became a hymn and Cat Stevens helped it to become popular.  The sarangi, sarod and the flute make it a universal hymn. -       Izzat Majeed

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PAKISTAN: Cuban jazz trio A3 : Fusion music: Jazz, tabla and violins meld into a unique sound

Jazz takes on an entirely new dimension when combined with the melodious tunes of the violin and the soft thumps of the tabla. About 50 people got to experience this fusion first-hand at a two-day collaborative session between the Cuban jazz trio A3 and local musicians.
The group extended its knowledge of Cuban rhythm to those present, whilst collaborating with local artists and sharing what it has absorbed of Pakistan’s musical heritage. The workshop was organised at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
Ten-year-old Sinan Khalid Wahid called it an “exciting” experience, as he strummed the popular Nirvana track “come as you are”. The song, though grunge in genre, took on a unique flavour, as Jorge and his band — pianist Ana Maria and percussionist Alberto Batista Hernandez — swelled the rhythm and tabla-player Ustad Ijaz Hussain Jajji, flute-player Salman Adil and violinists, Ustad Raees Ahmed Khan and Mi Zhou seasoned the tune with an ethnic harmony. The Tribune/PK

GERMANY/PAKISTAN: Peter Weniger dazzles audience

KARACHI, Sept 21: As a hard-core devotee and enthusiast of both western and the subcontinental classical music, the only jazz that I occasionally enjoy is the sort that was played in the 1930s and 1940s in the United States. These were the melodious compositions that featured call and response, ‘carving’ contests and the occasional blue note. Chris Barber and Monty Sunshine, the English virtuosos, used to faithfully reproduce the sounds of New Orleans as late as the 1980s. And I believe there’s a dive in Stockholm where a traditional jazz band still plays Cotton Club Stomp on request. What the audience heard at the concert entitled Jazz meets Raagas held at the residence of the hospitable German consul general Dr Tilo Klinner and his wife on Thursday evening was something else. It was the kind of Modern or Free Jazz that is played these days in Germany and most other parts of Europe.
Jazz flavoured with Desi spice/dawn.com

Pakistani Jazz Touches New Chords

LAHORE, Apr 10, 2012 (IPS) - The silencing of music in the name of Islam led Pappu to give up the cello and set up a tea stall. But Pappu and other musicians survived the Islamist regime for former dictator Zia ul-Haq and the recent ways of the Taliban to return to the most surprising group of musicians to have emerged over years – on a dusty little street in the Pakistani city Lahore.

Little known at home on a street taken over by car showrooms, Sachal made waves on the international music scene last year with their rendition of the 1959 jazz number Take Five.

Originally by the American Dave Brubeck Quartet, Sachal’s rendition hit the top of jazz album charts on iTunes in Britain and the United States. 
IPS-Inter Press Service

WORLD JAZZ FLASH / September 25, 2011

Legendary composer-conductor Gunther Schuller’s ‘third stream’ melds jazz and classical traditions
The 28th annual Festival Miami will open with a mini-Schuller festival, starting with a free talk by the composer on Friday. On Saturday, a concert will feature Schuller’s youthful Horn Concerto No. 1, with Todd accompanied by the Frost Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Thomas Sleeper. Finally, on Oct. 2, Schuller will conduct the French composer Darius Milhaud’s jazz-influenced La Création du Monde, followed by a performance of Schuller’s 2009 Quintet for Horn and Strings, with Todd joined by the Bergonzi String Quartet.

Brea Jazz Festival finishes with a bang
On Saturday the Brea Jazz Festival kicked off its last day with family fun, music and fine arts and crafts.
The City of Brea is celebrating its 9th Annual Jazz Festival by blocking off the Downtown area on Birch Street for a block party which features live jazz music.
During the day many vendors set up their booths one last time to sell their handmade merchandise. There was a wide variety of things ranging from handmade hats and headbands to water color paintings and even candles.

Team Paulus
Father and son composers Stephen and Greg Paulus joined forces for a piece with jazz trumpet, sound effects, electronics, a computer and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Soundcheck: All that jazz
What do you do when you hear a jazz group play Jazba Junoon? You marvel at the fact that the song sounds good in jazz, too!
The Ari Roland Jazz Quartet recently flew to Pakistan from the US last week to participate in a cultural exchange programme between the two countries. After a long flight, non-stop performances and workshops, the band looked none the worse for wear as they stepped on the stage with their instruments at the US Consul-General’s residence in Karachi. Acting Consul-General Jason Arkite took the opportunity to mention that music was a unifier of cultures and the concert was just one in a series of such between the two countries.

İş Sanat to present world class acts in 12th season
Widely recognized as one of Turkey's most prestigious art and culture centers, İstanbul's İş Sanat is set to deliver an exciting program of 48 acts including classic jazz, dance, children's theater, poetry readings and world music acts in their 12th season.
 Set to get under way on a high note on Oct. 25 with a concert from the Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, the new season will present 17 classical music concerts, five poetry readings, five jazz music concerts, six traditional Turkish music shows, seven world music concerts and six children's shows.

PAKISTAN: US Jazz ambassadors visit Karachi

KARACHI: A renowned Jazz band of the United States known as ‘Ari Roland Jazz Quartet’ landed in the provincial capital on Thursday on its 15-day visit under the American Festival of Arts, of the US State Department. The band leader Ariel Roland, accompanied with his fellows Keith Bella, Christopher Byars and Zaid Naseer, said in a round table with media persons that it was his second visit to Pakistan and he likes Pakistani music due to its deepness, complication and beauty. Roland shed light on the diversity and beauty of Sufi music. He was of the view that emotions behind music are common across the world. He said that they met several students in Pakistan and found them cooperative. Roland further said that during their visit they would stay in Karachi for five days conduct workshops, interact with art students and perform at several venues, before leaving for Islamabad and Lahore where they would perform for five days in each city. He announced that during their visit, the band in collaboration with a Pakistani musical band ‘Fuzon’ would produce a ‘friendship’ song. He further said that the major aim behind their visit was to connect people. During his conversation he also shared his experiences and shed light on music in the US. Later while interacting with media persons, band members said that they were hoping to learn a lot during the visit. They called themselves Jazz ambassadors and were of the view that music had the power to stop wars and unite people. It is pertinent to mention here that the American Festival of Arts will be kicked off through their visit and in near future, several music and performing art delegations will visit the country under the festival. The US Consulate Information Officer Amanda Cauldwell and Cultural Affairs Officer Tony Jones were also present on the occasion. asad farooq

Pakistan orchestra reinvents jazz classics

A new orchestra in the Pakistani city of Lahore is causing some excitement in the world of jazz - and turning around their own fortunes at the same time.

For years, classical musicians in Pakistan have faced tough times. As well as the issues everyone else in the country is facing, their profession all but died.

Most had been making music for the Pakistani film industry but the increasing influence of religion in society, and the easy availability of Indian movies, meant the industry collapsed.

But the Sachal Orchestra is sparking something of a revival. Their first jazz album Sachal Jazz was released recently.

The veteran American jazz musician, Dave Brubeck, described their interpretation of one of his tracks as "the most interesting recording of it he has ever heard".

Source BBC
Source: Sachal Jazz: A meeting with melody