Jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi’s unique fusion style has earned him musical accolades since his debut album in 1993. In fact, he is regularly ranked as one of the top guitarists in his field.
Rather than let his musical talent to stagnate, Abbasi constantly seeks out new opportunities to develop create engaging new music.
Not surprisingly, Abbasi jumped at the opportunity to re-score the classic 1929 Indian/German silent film, A Throw of Dice. That fresh soundtrack just been released by Whirlwind Recordings as a stand-alone album.
Rez Abbasi Stands in the Foreground
Though Abbasi’s new score for A Throw of Dice was only just released, the work was initially commissioned in 2017. When Abbasi played at WNYC’s Green Space he caught the eye of David Spelman, curator of the New York Guitar Festival. Enchanted by Abbasi’s talent, Spelman commissioned a new score from the virtuoso guitarist.
“I felt like I had a real influential hand in the outcome of the film as presented in 2019, because I was able to almost be another actor,” Abbasi says. “The score takes on the role of being another actor.”
Indeed, in a silent film, the score takes on a crucial role in guiding the mood of viewers. To capture a wide range of emotions, Abbasi employed both simple melodies and complex harmonics, highlighting the alternating comedy, tragedy, joy and chaos of the film’s narrative.
Tackling The Mahabharata
A Throw of Dice portrays an episode of the Mahabharata, one of India’s great epic poems. German director Franz Osten adapted this section of the ancient tale in 1929, creating an extravagant work of film that included 10,000 extras, 1,000 horses, and dozens of elephants.
The 85 minute film tells a tale of love and (mis)fortune, as two men vie for the hand of a beautiful young woman. The film legendary in South Asian cinema, and Abbasi had to step up to score such a classic picture.
The guitarist-composer appreciates the musical opportunities that this tales offers. “Engaging with the characters’ emotional and psychological content, the visuals along with other stimuli, galvanized my ideas,” Abbasi explains.
Rez Abbasi’s Changing Fusion Style
As a jazz guitarist, Abbasi’s style typically avoids excessive use of South Asian elements.
“I’ve always shied away from creating “exotic” sounding music for the sake of it, but with this project I kind of embrace exoticism,” Abbasi says. “So, it was really enjoyable to feature in one scene, for instance, sitar, guitar, bansuri flute, drum set and acoustic bass. Then, switch to electric guitar, tenor saxophone, cello and mridangam for the next scene. This really brought out all the knowledge I’ve ever had in music and more.”
Abbasi has also adapted that store of musical knowledge into his first book, New Dimensions in Jazz Guitar. The book offers guidance for developing an authentic musical style and ability. “They’re concepts that can serve you for a lifetime, as opposed to just saying, ‘Here’s 10,000 scales,’” Abbasi notes.
Abbasi’s work – including the score for A Throw of Dice – is available online and via most major streaming services.
