Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet: Intents and Purposes

Rez Abbasi, guitars

Rez Abbasi (born August 27, 1965 in Karachi, Pakistan) is an American fusion and jazz guitarist, music producer, and composer.

Abbasi came with his parents to the United States and grew up in Los Angeles. Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, and Bill Frisell were successively his musical influences. He studied at the University of Southern California and Manhattan School of Music, focusing on both jazz and classical music, then he went to India, where he learned from percussionist Alla Rakha.

1987 he moved to New York City, where he has since worked. In 1991 he released his first album, which included the talent of Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner, Gary Thomas, Peter Erskine, Marc Copland, and Michael Formanek. Since then he has played in the fusion genre, post-bop, hard bop, and jazz standards. Since the mid-1990s, Abbasi has operated as a music teacher and composer. In addition, he has worked as musical director and producer for singer Kiran Ahluwalia on his album Wanderlust (2008).

On his 2005 album Incurred Snake Charmer, which included Indian vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia, Abbasi combined jazz and Indian music in his compositions. He is currently working with his Rez Abbasi’s Acoustic Quartet (RAAQ), which includes vibraphonist Bill Ware, bassist Stephan Crump, and drummer Eric McPherson. With Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Kiran Ahluwalia, John Weidenmüller, and Dan Weiss he recorded the album Things to Come, for Sunnyside Records. This album was chosen by Down Beat magazine as one of the best albums of the decade. In addition, Abbasi was awarded the Chamber Music America Grant.

Source: Wikipedia

Bill Ware, vibraphone

Bill Ware III, born William Anthony Ware III (b. January 28, 1959, East Orange, New Jersey) is an American jazz vibraphonist.

Ware played bass and piano early in his career, playing at the Harlem Jazzmobile. After spending several years playing Latin jazz, he formed his own Latin Jazz group, AM Sleep. He joined the Jazz Passengers in 1987, and in 1990 put together a group of sidemen as the Club Bird All-Stars, who accompanied him on a tour of Japan.^[1] Alongside this, he played with Groove Collective and Steely Dan in the first half of the 1990s. Later in the decade he teamed up with fellow former Jazz Passengers, Brad Jones and E. J. Rodriguez, in the ensemble Vibes. His 2001 tribute to Duke Ellington was recorded with Marc Ribot on guitar. Deborah Harry guested on his 2002 effort Four. In the mid-2000s, Ware did several projects blending jazz with Western classical musicas well as 5 film scores (with fellow Jazz Passengers bandmate Roy Nathanson).

Source: Wikipedia

Stephan Crump, acoustic bass

Grammy-nominated, Memphis-bred bassist/composer Stephan Crump is a rising light on the New York music scene. As collaborator with mainstream jazz luminaries, downtown explorers, singer/songwriters and others, he has become known for the elegance and purposeful groove of his acoustic and electric bass playing, and for transforming his instrument into a speaking entity with magnetic pull on audiences. As a composer, he is emerging as a singular voice.

Shunning barriers of musical genre, Stephan has performed and recorded in the US and across the globe with a diverse list of musicians- from Motown legends Ashford and Simpson to Portishead’s Dave McDonald, The Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano, Jim Campilongo, Patti Austin, Jorma Kaukonen, Lucy Kaplansky, Mahavishnu Project, Big Ass Truck, Dave Liebman, Billy Hart, Sonny Fortune, Bobby Previte, and late blues legend Johnny Clyde Copeland.

Currently, Stephan can be heard as a long-standing member of Vijay Iyer Trio, Jen Chapin Trio, Ches Smith Trio, Secret Keeper, and his own Rosetta Trio.

Source: http://stephancrump.com/about/

Eric McPherson, drums

Eric McPherson is at the vanguard of his generation’s creative music drummers. His command of multiple percussion instruments is matched by the originality, electricity, versatility and sensitivity he adds to the continuum of the music.
Born in New York City, Eric’s musical journey began immediately. Present at his birth were Broadway dancer Barbara Alston, his mother’s best friend and the legendary bassist, Richard Davis; who suggested that their godson be named after Eric Dolphy. Before Eric was three months old, his mother, Saundra, a professional dancer/choreographer, would strap him to her back and take him to her dance classes, rehearsals, auditions and performances. In these creatively fertile environments Eric began to absorb conceptual, rhythmic interpretations of music.

In Saundra’s wide orbit of friends and colleagues were percussionists Max Roach, Michael Carvin, Charles Moffett, and Freddie Waits. These major innovators on their instrument would become Eric’s primary influences on his musical development and on the eclectic musical arsenal from which he continually draws.

When Eric was twelve, he began his formal drum training under the tutelage of master percussionist Michael Carvin. Eric attended the prestigious LaGuardia High School of the Arts. He auditioned and was selected to perform in the New York All City High School and McDonald’s High School Tri-State Big Bands. These bands appeared at many New York City performing arts centers including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Eric and his school combo won various competitions including Down Beat and McDonald’s; individually he won several awards in the Outstanding Soloist category.

The Hartt School of Music, at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, awarded Eric a full scholarship to study at the school’s renowned Jackie McLean Institute. Eric earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with top honors.

Source: http://www.ericmcpherson.com/bio.htm