The Pakistan bred and East Coast fed guitarist Rez Abbasi may have been jesting when he stated at the beginning of the 70 minute set “We’re going to play a lot of Rush tonight”, but the energy emitted by the leader and his Junction band created enough swinging sparks to even make Neil Peart jealous.
Abbasi is one of the proponents of melding the harmonies and moods of Central Asian music with modern post bop jazz, and he walked the tightrope like a member of Barnam and Bailey with the teammates Mark Shim/ts-ewi, Marko Cnsec/key and Kenny Grohowski/dr.
Playing material from the recently released album, Abbasi and company set the stage on the opening “Holy Butter,” with interlocking lines from guitar and Shim’s EWI intricately weaving through Grohowski’s rapid pulse and Cnsec’s bass line. Abbasi mixed Central Asian drones and ragas as embellishments to Shim’s searing solo, while on the bluesy shadows of “ Groundswell” the keyboards lurked as a haze while Shim’s Texas thick tenor contrasted with Abassi’s wrist flicks of chimes before veering into a four member free for all, sliding safely into home for the returning melody.
Cnsec’s contributed both thick and relentless pulses as well as post bop keyboard solos and floating harmonies during the 8 note drone of “Inner Context”, coalescing Indian tones with a western march as Abbasi and Shim linked arms to the semi rock beat. Shim’s tenor combined a Coltranesque cry, but never veering into a shriek, keeping the warm subtones in check while guitar notes picked out patterns with a 21st Century edge.
Most intriguing of all was Abbasi’s solo intro to “Uncommon Sense”, bringing together effects and loops to creates sounds reminiscent of both a sitar and bagpipes. The strings chimed like church bells before the cantering rhythm team jumped in, with Grohowski’s ride cymbal tapping like a hummingbird’s wing as Shim seared along for the ride for a caroming finish.
As the evening’s set ended with sepia strings, sighing Selmer tones and misty keys and brushes on “And I You”, Abbasi showed the enthused audience that during Halloween, his band Junction can meet at the corner of Central Asia and Western swing and create music that point to the future of jazz as a treat, and not a trick.
Upcoming shows at the Blue Whale include Mike Moreno Nov 5, Le Bouef Brothers Nov 8 and Matt Slocom Nov 9