“Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron” available now!
Greg Abate
LABEL: Whaling City Sound
YouTube: “Bebop” w/ Jake Fryer, Wakefield Jazz, GoLocal LIVE, Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, Taos BeBop Assoc.,Solo On Alto, Live in Boston, Sample Video, Live at Narrows Center,
“With the maestro’s passing, the legacy of Phil’s music becomes even more treasured. He is in great form here with Greg, one of his many followers whose work he has greatly influenced, more than holding his own. This is an historic recording.” ~David LiebmanPublicity: Dayton Daily News, The Jamestown Press, Daily Independent, The Independent, Niagara Frontier Publications, Patriot Ledger, Hot House Jazz, Worcester Telegram, JazzTimes, Cape Cod Times, Marlbank, Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, All About Jazz, Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, Valley Breeze, JazzLeeds, Jazz Journal, Jazz-Quad, Berklee Press, JazzTimes, All About Jazz, CAI (Cape And Islands) NPR, What’s Up Newp, The Patriot Ledger, All About Jazz, What’s Up Newp, Hot House Jazz, Neon Jazz, Jazz Journal, What’s Up Newport, Bill Copeland Music News, Open Jazz (French), Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, Jazz and Blues News, New York City Jazz Record, Midwest Record, Glide Magazine, Amazon Reviews, Studio 10 WJAR, 90.5 WICN Public Radio, Hartford Courant, The Herald News, What’s Up Newp, 90.5 WICN Public Radio, Jazz Journal, All About Jazz, Bill Copeland Music News, Telegram&Gazette, Jazz Journal, Yorkshire Times, Bebop Spoken Here, The Independent, Broadway World Cabaret, All About Jazz, O’s Place, ProJo, Norwich Bulletin, CapeCod.com, Midweek Herald, Wakefield Express (UK), Blu Jazz+, aNews Cafe.com, Herald Dispatch, BroadwayWorld Boston. Jazz Quad, North Wales Pioneer (UK), Daily Post, Jazz @ Future Inn, Jazz Weekly, All About Jazz, GoLocalProv, Midwest Book Review (Wisconsin Bookwatch)Improvijazzation Nation,Newport This Week,Jazz New England, The Taos News,Herald Express, Music Web International, Courant Community, Southern Rhode Island Newpapers, Papatamus, JazzTimes, Freedom Talk Radio, Ohio.com, GoLocalProv, Woonsocket Call, Akron Beacon Journal, Downbeat,Warwick Beacon Review, Motif Magazine, Interview with Jazz New England, Jazz Journal, Torquay Herald Express (UK), Dick Keogh(fan), Ken Franckling’s Jazz notes, All About Jazz, Jazz-квадрат, (click for English translation), Warwick Beacon, The Herald News, Jazz Depot (OK), Providence Journal, South Wales Evening Post, The Guardian, North Hampton Chronicle, EditorialsTaosNews, North Hampton Chronicles, Guardian Series, WhatsupNewp
Forte Jazz Lounge has had a lot of amazing musicians and performances in our first 6 months. But the last two nights hosting Greg Abate was absolutely thrilling. He effortlessly bounced back and forth from great bebop standards like Yardbird Suite and his own compositions. He connected with audience from the first moment he stepped on the stage. The local cats that played for him were perfect. Frank Puzzullo on piano, Jeremy Wolf on Bass and John Willmarth on drums played with passion and artistry. Thank you to Rob Rosenblum for connecting Forte with Greg. If you missed it, make sure you keep an eye on the website ForteJazzLounge.com for future dates.
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Last night’s Greg Abate gig finally dispersed the remnants of the COVID gloom and nervousness that have kept indoor JazzLeeds restricted in so many ways. Supported brilliantly by a trio of local lads he simply blew us all away with his inventive driving work on alto and flute. And it’s difficult for this audience member to know where to begin to describe a really outstanding evening’s entertainment.
For Greg is more than “just” a top musician. He’s the only headliner I know of who treats his audience as old buddies from the off, relaxed, affable, virtually asking opinion as to which key to play the next piece in and with gentle anecdotes to make us laugh. He’s made for the close contact of clubs, not a stage. At 74 Greg’s one of the last of the “journeymen” jazz musicians, visiting the UK annually for several weeks, playing around 250 gigs a year, organised in all respects by himself since he has no agent. His repertoire is based solidly on the works of Bird and Bebop (“Yardbird Suite, Parker’s Mood”), but he can turn his hand, and did, to standards (“All the Things You Are”), his own compositions (“Family”) and arrangements (Kenny Barron’s “Voyage”). His on-the-road one-night way of gigging means he meets his accompanists for the first time shortly before their first number, and it’s heads down and straight in. And of course it’s the same for them – but worse!
The physical closeness of the group to us meant that we could see AND hear Greg, especially in the first set, sergeant-majoring instructions to any one of his group like a machine gun, leading to permutations like him alone, him and drums, bass and drums, trio (take your pick), swapping fours in the most convoluted patterns. Not only no rehearsal, but this was jazz as it is at its heart, created on the hoof, and my hat goes off to Pete Rosser(p), Sam Jackson(b) and John Settle(d) who played superbly, totally unruffled by the rapidity of the pieces, the impromptu changes of tempo, the sudden changes from a quartet to a duo as if they’d played with Greg for weeks. As an ensemble the quartet was outstanding in its excitement and flexibility. We audience roared.
This is not to overlook the excellence of the opening support duo of Hugh Vincent (piano) and Joel Stedman (flute and guitar). Some very nice impro, with a few early block chords reminiscent of Red Garland from Hugh, and such a pleasure to hear two so young musicians playing standards, something of a rarity these days. I dread the prospect of the words “One of my compositions” since they so often lead to loss of direction and interest. I didn’t hear them, just an obvious affection for tunes such as “Hackensack” and “Chelsea Bridge”. The youngsters more than whetted the appetite for the feast that followed.
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Additional Information
Dates: September 11, 2021
Location: The Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant
Address: 102 Connell Highway, Newport, RI 02840
Time: 6:00 PM
Price: $56.95
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Magic Dance 85
O’s Place Jazz Magazine
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Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes
Saxophonist Greg Abate, best known for his alto prowess, adds tenor, soprano and baritone saxes, and flute, to this excellent project in an adventurous way. This two-CD project features Abate performing 14 wide-ranging tunes composed by jazz great Kenny Barron, with a trio featuring Barron on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums.
Half of the tunes feature the leader on just one horn apiece, for example, flute on the genteel ballad “Water Lily,” soprano on “Sonia Braga” from Barron’s 2012 Brazilian Knights project, and tenor on the lively opener “Sunshower” and the pensive beauty “Rain.” After the three-day studio session last September, Abate added tasteful overdubs on the remaining tunes, pairing alto and tenor on “Golden Lotus” and “Lemuria,” flute and alto on “Cook’s Bay,” then alto and bari on the closer, “And Then Again.”
The most ambitious was Abate’s treatment on two of Barron’s best-known compositions, His overdubbing created a full big-band sax section as he explored “Innocence” and “Voyage,” soloing on soprano and alto respectively. As a result, we get to hear rich riffs, interlude melodies and harmonies that reveal rich new facets that underscore Barron’s compositional prowess. And how great it is that Barron was along for the ride.
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Chan’s Presents
The Greg Abate Quartet on May 29 at 8pm
with Tim Ray, John Lockwood, Mark Walker playing the music of Kenny Barron, Greg’s new double CD set Magic Dance
$30 at the door
$25 in advance
167 Main Street
Woonsocket, RI
Plenty of free parking!
Reservations recommended, call 401-765-1900
www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com
Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron
Greg Abate (Whaling City Sound)
by Scott Yanow
Saxophonist Greg Abate’s two-CD set Magic Dance is the best type of tribute. Not only is it a straightahead exploration of 14 of Kenny Barron’s compositions, but also it features Barron himself, playing in prime form. Barron, who turns 78 this year, has been a significant pianist and composer since the early ‘60s. His playing has grown in its individuality and power through the years and he has long been a skilled but underrated composer. While his “Voyage” has caught on as a standard, most of his other originals were long overdue to be explored again at length. Abate, a veteran saxophonist based in New England who is best known on alto, had previously recorded with Barron just one time, for his 1996 album Bop Lives. For the tribute, Abate, Barron, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake dig into many of the pianist’s finest songs, which often have accessible melodies along with complex and original chord changes. With the exception of “Voyage”, these are not the type of tunes that show up often at jam sessions. Abate, who is heard on five different instruments, overdubbed a second horn on five songs (mostly for the melody statements) and on “Innocence” and “Voyage” he is heard as a full five-part horn section. His playing is excellent throughout and his occasional soprano solos (most notably on “Innocence”) make the case for him being ranked as one of the top jazz players on that horn. Other highlights include the catchy “Sunshower”, picturesque “Cook’s Bay”, thoughtful “Rain”, an inventive and exciting arrangement of “Voyage” and every solo played by the ageless pianist. Magic Dance is one of the finest recent recordings by both Abate and Barron with the tribute not revisiting past triumphs but standing on its own as a superior modern jazz date.
Celebrating the Life and Music of Tony Campise – Friday, May 14
Tony Campise was a consummate musician, but he was a lot more.
His love for music and the young jazz musicians he mentored spread to everyone around him, and years after his passing we still gather to remember him.
For this tenth anniversary year, (the 2020 concert was cancelled) three luminaries of Austin jazz will join us to honor his life and legacy at the annual Toast to Tony concert at 7 pm Friday May 14 at Spicewood Vineyards Event Center.
Joining us will be Greg Abate on his sultry sax, Pamela Hart with her velvet voice, and trombonist Andre Hayward adding golden notes. Add a dynamic rhythm section, and it’ll be musical magic. Just tap the red button below for tickets.
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Greg is WICN’s Artist of the Month! Check their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts for updates and features of Greg throughout the month.
Woonsocket native saxophonist Greg Abate is releasing a new album “Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron” on April 2, a tribute to the keyboard legend Barron. An inductee in the RI Music Hall of Fame, Abate has played and recorded with artists as diverse as Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Jerome Richardson, as well Kenny Barron. Abate was recently ranked #4 in the world on alto sax in the annual Downbeat Magazine Reader’s Poll.
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Greg Abate Online Jazz Session on Zoom!
Sunday 23rd August 10 am EST
Direct link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81612711978
On Sunday 23rd August at 10 am EST, Jazz legend Greg Abate will be LIVE on Zoom for a virtual Jazz Session hosted by Chelmsford Jazz Club. Our Jazz Club members have been missing their monthly gigs, so we decided to bring the music right into their homes and yours! Everyone is welcome and it is completely free. There will be chat, laughter and of course, live music from Greg Abate. You can join online or by even phone – see below for details!
Or Join by Phone
Dial the number then key in the meeting ID code: Meeting ID: 816 1271 1978
UK 0203 481 5237 United Kingdom
USA +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
For full details & how to download ‘zoom’, visit our website www.ChelmsfordJazzClub.co.uk
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Watch Greg Abate with Paul Edis Trio Jazz North East November 2019 performance in Newcastle, England
Click here to watch the full video for “Inner Urge”!
Saturday May 9th Greg will appear on PULIN 4 JAZZ at 12 NOON PACIFIC, 1 PM MOUNTAIN, 2 PM CENTRAL, 3 PM EASTERN, AND 8 PM IN EUROPE AND THE UK
They will be featuring tracks from Greg’s CD, spotlighting Richie Cole, “DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE”, as well as Greg’s collaboration with Phil Woods.
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Gratitude: Stage Door LIVE@TheZ
Greg Abate (Whaling City Sound)
by Ken Dryden
There are many players who are so recognized for their work on one instrument that the public is often unaware that they play several more. Greg Abate has been primarily heard on alto saxophone throughout his career, but for this live recording, his fourth both for Whaling City Sound and with pianist Tim Ray’s trio with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker, he decided also to feature himself on tenor and baritone saxophones and flute. The time that the musicians have spent together as a unit shows in the solid performances throughout this live set, most of which focuses on Abate’s potent originals.
Things start with his engaging bossa nova “Gratitude”, each member showcased in turn. When the leader is playing bop tunes, the influence of jazz master Phil Woods is present; though he is by no means a clone, it is his execution and wealth of ideas that invite comparison to the late alto saxophonist, whom he admired greatly. The feeling is especially present in “Bop Lives” and his heartfelt tribute “Farewell Phil Woods”, the latter written as a ballad but performed here at a strolling tempo. The jazz waltz “Hazy Moon” is the first of two songs spotlighting Abate’s considerable chops on flute, darting lines incorporating Eric Dolphy-like detours in spots. His sole appearance on baritone is on his rapid-fire “In The Stratosphere” where his gritty sound recalls Pepper Adams.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Serenade To A Cuckoo” featured the composer on flute on the original, but Abate opts for tenor to give it a gruffer texture. Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” is a trio number and Ray’s Caribbean-flavored treatment in the introduction is a surprising, novel approach; this performance never loses steam in spite of stretching out over nine minutes. Back on tenor, Abate devours Joe Henderson’s hard-charging signature piece “Inner Urge”, tackling it at a brisk tempo. The excellent recording gives the listener a front-and-center seat for musicians having a ball on stage.
GREG ABATE / CRAIG MILVERTON QUARTET
GREG’S GROOVE
Pianist Milverton is an activist, a maker and shaker in the jazz community who in the past organized a jazz festival and now sets up tours and travels far and wide to play. Explore is his label. Even more of note, he’s a resourceful player who can ignite a session and command attention.
He doesn’t seem to know how to play a dull set. His collaboration with tenorist Fowler and guitarist Ashworth is sub-titled The Music of Bebop Genius Tadd Dameron and takes a very agreeable look at fifteen of the late composer’s works. Of course, the familiar pieces like Good Bait, The Squirrel and Our Delight are here and are given their swinging due but the added pleasure is in hearing these distinctive players handle other less-heard Dameron compositions. And how rewarding they are. Fowler is truly our premier mainstream tenor man, with something of Scott Hamilton’s relaxed approach and warm sound, who always knows how to build and shape a solo. To the band’s credit, they don’t seek to replicate the classic versions of these key pieces, rather they set up a series of free-flowing quintet accounts of their own, bassist Al Swainger and drummer Nick Millward finding the right groove every time. Just to hear them push on Hot House or The Squirrel with Milverton flying is to understand why Digby Fairweather called this album ‘a treasury of excellence’ and he’s right. Anyway, any chance to hear Ashworth at length is not to be missed. Milverton and US altoist Greg Abate are often on tour together and I heard them yet again at this Swanage festival and damn good they were. Abate is bebop personified, his alto as passionate and fiery as ever: Parker is in there obviously as is Phil Woods, this given added point by the inclusion of Abate’s original Farewell Phil Woods (the album was made in 2015). His tone is warmer, more rounded and less bluesy than Cannonball, say, but there’s no doubting the verve and sheer class he exudes whether as a ballad player or a tear-up type. Abate records often: this collaboration with Milverton ranks high among his recent achievements.
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Greg featured on NBC 10’s Coffee Break with Frank Coletta!
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On his four recordings with the Tim Ray Trio, all on Whaling City Sound, Greg Abate finds himself on an endless quest for the true essence of jazz. Throughout this exploration, Abate, a massive talent, acquits himself as energetic, creative, and exhilarating
Which is why it’s such a treat to listen to his latest work with the Tim Ray Trio, Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ The Z. On stage, Abate is a force, a paragon of power and passion. Offstage, Abate is experienced, and a student of jazz. Live, he wrests control of the form, a force majeure, and proves that few in the jazz vernacular today can keep pace with him.
The album itself is a joy. With no formal rehearsals, and subsequently, no overdubs, mulligans, and re-do’s, the band captures its performance in truth, in full, and in the moment. With the seasoned support of Ray (piano), John Lockwood (bass) and Mark Walker (drums), Abate and his various horns (alto, tenor and baritone saxes, as well as flute) cruise through a slate of mainly originals, along with Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge” and Roland Kirk’s “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” done here on tenor sax rather than the customary flute. “Dracula” spotlights Abate, Ray, and Walker, in that order, in a concise span of five minutes. In all, the performances are loose and fun without being casual. These guys are, after all, some of the best on the scene.
The intimacy of the venue also helped propel the session. The Zeiterion Theater is a stellar place and allows the band to stretch out. Ray’s version of Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” is a ten-minute blast, with rollicking passages interspersed with Lockwood and Walker each stepping into the spotlight.
Capturing the live energy is a difficult task, especially in jazz, where the frequencies are so varied. But the session, recorded and mixed by John Mailloux, is superb.
Abate is one of the hardest working men in jazz. Every year, when it seems like it might be time to slow it down, Abate revs it up, booking more shows, more clinics, and teaching more classes. He jet sets it when necessary, making repeated trips overseas to find his audiences. For now, he’s left us with the incendiary Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ The Z a postcard from the road, sent with the heat, beauty, and passion of genuine bebop.
Greg Abate Sextet Live at Chan’s Jan 26. 8p
Podcast: A conversation with International Jazz Artist Greg Abate
Greg Abate, who is listed in Downbeat Magazine’s latest critics poll as among jazz music’s top rising stars, brings his uptown jazz quintet for a high powered night of music at the Newport Playhouse, Thursday, August 2.
Known for his straight-ahead jazz and bee-bop style, Abate’s performance is part of Bridgefest, linking the folk and jazz festivals, and comes on the eve of the opening of the Newport Jazz Festival. It’s a great way to get a jump start on a jazz-filled weekend.
Abate, a prolific and accomplished songwriter, who performs more than 200 concerts a year worldwide, is third of 20 in Downbeat’s critics poll “Rising Star Alto Sax.” The poll appears in the magazine’s August edition. Last year, he also finished third in “Rising Star Alto” and in 2013 was 12th as “Best Alto Sax.” Besides Abate, the quintet includes Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Matt DeChamplain (piano), Paul Del Nero (bass) and Luther Gray (drums).
Abate, joined What’sUpNewp’s Frank Prosnitz on this edition of The Open Forum on AM 1540 WADK.
6/11: Greg Abate featured in MUSIC ON MONDAYS Concert Series At Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater Begins 6/4
Greg Abate is a jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, and International Jazz Recording Artist touring the globe 225 days per year. After finishing at the Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for two years, then Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area. Greg also played tenor sax with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Following this experience, Greg ventured out as a soloist playing Jazz Festivals and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, UK, Moscow and Georgia Russia. Greg has recorded over 17 recordings as leader and his newest release is Kindred Spirits with Phil Woods and The Tim Ray Trio. Greg is an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is a very active jazz clinician with workshops and master classes throughout the U.S and abroad. Greg was inducted into the RI MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2016. The Chicago Tribune says about Greg “…his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity” and JazzTimes says about Greg, “The tunes he writes or chooses are based on the kinds of changes that harmony-oriented jazzmen have favored since the beginning and he swings through them with and eager and easy virtuosity.”
Peaked at #12 3/20/17
Listen on SoundCloud “Whaling City Sound”
Mary Ann Rossoni captures Greg Abate performing in Jamestown with Kent Hewitt, Todd Baker, Gary Johnson!
Audience at the Swanage Jazz Festival!
Sunday 3/19/17 Greg Abate & Tim Ray Trio at Aria’s Lounge in Providence
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Latest Album (Released 2/24):
Purchase here.
WCS 090 Road to Forever
Papatamus
April 2016: Step right up folks lets see who has the last recording PHIL WOODS [as] made before he died. The January 2016 Papatamus covered 2, one on chiaroscuro from 6/13 and one from Deer Head Records from 11/10/14 (Woods died 9/29/15 and he was active almost up to that date). Now Whaling City Sound has issued a double CD, KINDRED SPIRITS LIVE AT CHAN’S [WCS 077], with WOODS, GREG ABATE [as/ss], Tim Ray [p], John Lockwood [b], and Mark Walker [drm]. The 2 sets [2:04:02] here were recorded 8/11/14 and as one might suspect it is yet another fine Woods date spurned on by another front line saxman. I did not realize how close in sound Abate was to Woods and I would have guessed my ear could have picked out one from another but I could not always. Fortunately Whaling City has provided help in identifying who is playing when. Oddly, Whaling City has chosen to put intros and some stage gab at the end of each disc and here there is no doubt whose voice is whose. What is not a surprise is how good the music is as both saxmen have good track records; Abate continuing his and Woods strong to the last moment. 13 standards and some chatter familiar and fine.
Review of Greg’s performance on June 4th at the Iron Horse Music Hall:
“Wow–you hadda be there to believe it. Greg Abate absolutely destroyed The Iron Horse Music Hall last night. With monster drummer Steve Langone and Georgie The Kaye on bass and Stephen Page on piano, truly a night to remember.” ~Michael and The Joint
Motif Magazine celebrates the best in local music!
Tuesday May 3
Door open at 6 – show starts at 6:30
Opening act: School of Rock: Seekonk
Second Act: VulGarrity
Voting is still open for the 2016 Nominees (it ends April 24)! https://
The Live Phil/Greg Album Received 4 Stars From DownBeat!
Kindred Spirits: Live at Chan’s/Greg Abate & Phil Woods+Tim Ray Trio
United Kingdom
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United Kingdom’s Magazine Jazz Journal
features a nice review of Abate’s work.
Greg Abate & Phil Woods
Live at Chan’s: Dedicated to Phil Woods
Greg Abate and the Tim Ray Trio performed music from the new album “Kindred Spirits, Live at Chan’s” on Saturday, October 3rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ80D-o8Wu8
for a clip from the show click the link above!
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American Be-bop saxophonist Greg Abate featured on Torquay Herald Express
Free Wheelin’ Jazz Safari features Greg Abate’s “Motif” as Jazz Album of the day!
Whaling City Sounds’ “Motif”
by Greg Abate Quartet
Climbs up to #10 on JazzWeek charts
“Coming soon…CDs due in next week. Radio already requesting promo!”
Sax Under the Bridge:
Greg Abate Quartet and
The Dave Liebman Group”Expansions”
At The Narrows
Fall River’s Narrows Center for the Arts and CD label Whaling City Sound present sax road warriors Dave Liebman and Greg Abate and their respective new bands on the same night, Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Narrows Center, starting at 8 pm. Both jazz veterans will be featuring music from their new Whaling City CD releases.
Greg Abate resides in Rhode Island, but spends very little time there. He tours, performs to sold-out crowds and records all over the world. The list of band mates on his many CDs as a leader reads like a who’s who of jazz masters, including pianists Kenny Barron and the late James Williams, saxophonists Phil Woods, Richie Cole and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. His latest band includes a dream trio of giants based in the Boston area. Pianist Tim Ray spend several years with Lyle Lovett, has shared the stage with Aretha and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and has had at New England Conservatory and Harvard. He is currently at Berklee College.
Bassist John Lockwood has appeared on many recordings, is an anchor of the longtime jazz juggernaut The Fringe (with George Garzone and Bob Gilotti), and is featured on not less than six previous Whaling City releases. His impeccable taste, rock solid rhythmic drive and the famous Lockwood bounce elevate any performance, live or recorded, on which he is present.
Drummer Mark Walker is a multi-Grammy winner and Berklee professor. A mainstay behind Carribean Jazz Project and Paquito de Rivera, Walker has a remarkable following in the Latin jazz arena. As part of this group, Walker shows he can also contribute handily in be-bop and swing settings. When he performs, you can usually tell who the drummers are in audience; they are the ones with their jaws dropping.
Following the death of longtime jazz innovator and icon John Coltrane, his longtime drummer Elvin Jones tapped Dave Liebman for Elvin’s band and subsequent recording. Lieb also toured and recorded with Miles Davis shortly after the release of “On The Corner.” Lieb has over 200 CDs as a leader or co-leader and appears on 300 more. After maintaining his own solid band for over 20 years, Liebman is now launching a new group, Expansions, with his breakthrough Samsara CD. Never one to rest on his laurels or the music from his significant past, Liebman remains a spiritual and musical leader for younger and older musicians who want to forge their own paths rather than follow. As Dave says of his latest group and music, “the direction is eclectic…with an emphasis on free collective improvising, along with rhythmic/harmonic devices that have become so prevalent…explored by the new generation, who, like their predecessors, have changed the jazz language.”
Rounding out the band are newcomers and veterans alike: saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Alex Ritz.
For more information on Greg Abate
For more information on Dave Liebman
GREG ABATE Quartet – Performed Sept 19th
Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe. In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.
Greg was joined by the incomparable talents of Kent Hewitt on piano, Harvie S on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums!
In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87. Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.
Greg is also an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is also a very active jazz clinician with co. sponsorship from the Conn -Selmer Instrument Co., conducting workshops and master classes through the U.S and abroad. For more artist details visit: www.gregabate.com
What some say about Greg Abate: Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.” –Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune.
A Jazz Gemini Birthday Celebration!
Took place on Saturday, May 31st:
Chan’s Eggrolls and Jazz presents “A Greg Abate Quintet Gemini Birthday Bash” celebrated John Chan and Greg Abate’s birthday! Jazz music was flowing with Greg on alto sax and flute, Gary Smulyan baritone sax, John Lockwood bass, Tim Ray piano, and Mark Walker drums.
Greg Abate and Band
4/23: Greg Abate @Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA
Be-Bop Road Warrior Greg Abate and His Quartet Made Rare New Bedford Stop at the Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA
Two days after this performance, Mr. Abate and the same band head into the studio to record the music they will be premiering at the Wamsutta. This is a rare chance to hear a top-notch, all-star jazz group explore original music written for this moment, and which has not previously been played.
Although Mr. Abate is based in Rhode Island for many years, there is no telling where you might run into him, or better yet, catch his inspired performances. He is a regular at festivals, clinics, clubs and universities all over the world. His impressive body of recorded CDs showcases Greg with many of jazz’s legends in the rhythm section or as guest horn-players, so often so that you can count on it. Kenny Barron, Mark Soskin, Rufus Reid, Harvie S, Bill Miele, Paul Del Nero, Paul Nagel and others are just a few of those who can be heard on Greg’s recordings.
Keyboard wizard, composer and educator Tim Ray is the leader of the “chamber jazz” group Tre Corda, but that does not keep him from performances at places like the White House and Carnegie Hall, or on TV shows like the “Tonight Show” and “Letterman.” Recently Tim was part of this same rhythm section at Scullers in Boston with Greg’s baritone-heavy sextet. Currently on the faculty of Berklee College, Tim has taught at all of the major colleges, universities and conservatories in Boston.
John Lockwood has performed at the Wamsutta Club many times as one of the anchors and treasures of guitarist John Stein’s Quartet over the last 5+ years. If Mr. Lockwood is in the band, it is understood that the level of the music just went up a few gears.
Behind the drums for this evening is master drummer Mark Walker. A major contributor to the success of the bands Oregon and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Mark was a long-time member of Paquito D’Rivera’s touring group. He is a Grammy winner, and also teaches at Berklee College in Boston.
JANUARY RELEASE:
Info link: <http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv>http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv
“Motif”: <http://bit.ly/1lrO5Jy>http://bit.ly/1lrO5Jy
<http://bit.ly/1sjwt60>Phil Woods and the Greg Abate Quartet
Saxophonist (and sometime clarinetist) Phil Woods is a cherished jazz legend. He is a highly revered musician, composer and arranger, who has been fronting his own small and big band groups since the 1950s.
Woods is a four-time GRAMMY winner and has won countless other awards, including: National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship: 2007, President’s Merit Award from the Grammy Foundation: 2007, Kennedy Center Living Legends in Jazz Award: 2007.
Saxophonist Greg Abate has been a mainstay on the New England jazz scene for many years, but is also in high demand at festivals and jazz clubs worldwide. Greg is known for inviting other saxophone greats to share the stage with him, such as baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan and jazz legend/NEA Jazz Master, Phil Woods.
Respected Chicago Tribute jazz writer Howard Reich had this to say about Abate’s playing:
“Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.”
Joining Woods and Abate: pianist Tim Ray, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker. A
Phil Woods/Greg Abate front line coupled with a driving rhythm section is a recipe for an exciting and unforgettable evening of music!
<http://bit.ly/1sjwt60>Greg Abate Sextet
Live at Chan’s: Dedicated to Phil Woods
Greg Abate and the Tim Ray Trio performed music from the new album “Kindred Spirits, Live at Chan’s” on Saturday, October 3rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ80D-o8Wu8
for a clip from the show click the link above!
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American Be-bop saxophonist Greg Abate featured on Torquay Herald Express
Free Wheelin’ Jazz Safari features Greg Abate’s “Motif” as Jazz Album of the day!
Whaling City Sounds’ “Motif”by Greg Abate Quartet
Climbs up to #10 on JazzWeek charts
Motif by Greg Abate Quartet
Peaked at #10 12/22/14 JazzWeek
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CD RELEASE 10/14/14
What’s in a Name?
Greg Abate’s fresh new Motif
Speaks volumes about playing great bebop
Motif might be the title of Greg Abate’s new album, but it could just as easily, and perhaps more appropriately be called Conversations for the way it feels. Each song breezes beautifully by, with Abate’s organic spume of notes, cascading effortlessly the way wind pushes over a field of wheat. Abate is masterful in the way he handles a variety of themes (or topics) and the disc is persistent and interesting, the way an adept communicator can be when making great conversation.
Abate, a master on the alto saxophone, has been doing this a long time, and his experience lifts up the songs on Motif, shines a light on them, and makes the record a joy to listen to. It doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded himself with an impeccable cadre of musicians: drummer Mark Walker, inimitable bassist John Lockwood, and pianist Tim Ray. Together, they encircle Abate with a cushiony, luxurious musical bumper, keeping Abate on track with his blowing yet also allowing him the space for full expression. Abate certainly takes advantage. Fans of the sax, and alto in particular, will revel in his tone and note choices, as he explores the full range of the instrument.
He plays with immense personality and always has. Going back to his earliest days as a professional—in the Ray Charles Orchestra (where he, if you recall, replaced the one of a kind, David “Fathead” Newman) and the Artie Shaw band, led at the time by clarinetist Dick Johnson. Since then, he has been at it on and off, mostly on, and his dexterity stands out on Motif.
The record opens with the zesty title track, a re-harmonization of the standard “All the Things You Are.” It moves smoothly into the slower, and slightly bluesy “Buddy’s Rendezvous,” an elegy to Abate’s late friend Buddy Hawkins. That, in turn segues into “Snowfall,” a peaceful evocation of the title matter, that is brisk and light, even while Abate’s minor key composition and solid alto paint a beautiful picture of what it might have been like on the inside looking out. “Bittersweet,” the track that follows, is deep and personal, with a bossa nova underpinning and, according to Abate, “several different key centers.”
It’s easy to continue in this vein, but we won’t. The songs are easy to hear and artfully executed. Like an exhilarating talk between friends, it is beautifully paced and wonderfully articulated.
On Motif, Greg Abate presents prima facie evidence proving he belongs near the top of the list when the subject is today’s top sax players. Abate reminds us, as the notes tumble generously out of his horn, that he deserves every jazz fan’s unwavering attention.
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“Coming soon…CDs due in next week. Radio already requesting promo!”
Greg Abate resides in Rhode Island, but spends very little time there. He tours, performs to sold-out crowds and records all over the world. The list of band mates on his many CDs as a leader reads like a who’s who of jazz masters, including pianists Kenny Barron and the late James Williams, saxophonists Phil Woods, Richie Cole and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. His latest band includes a dream trio of giants based in the Boston area. Pianist Tim Ray spend several years with Lyle Lovett, has shared the stage with Aretha and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and has had at New England Conservatory and Harvard. He is currently at Berklee College.
Bassist John Lockwood has appeared on many recordings, is an anchor of the longtime jazz juggernaut The Fringe (with George Garzone and Bob Gilotti), and is featured on not less than six previous Whaling City releases. His impeccable taste, rock solid rhythmic drive and the famous Lockwood bounce elevate any performance, live or recorded, on which he is present.
Drummer Mark Walker is a multi-Grammy winner and Berklee professor. A mainstay behind Carribean Jazz Project and Paquito de Rivera, Walker has a remarkable following in the Latin jazz arena. As part of this group, Walker shows he can also contribute handily in be-bop and swing settings. When he performs, you can usually tell who the drummers are in audience; they are the ones with their jaws dropping.
Following the death of longtime jazz innovator and icon John Coltrane, his longtime drummer Elvin Jones tapped Dave Liebman for Elvin’s band and subsequent recording. Lieb also toured and recorded with Miles Davis shortly after the release of “On The Corner.” Lieb has over 200 CDs as a leader or co-leader and appears on 300 more. After maintaining his own solid band for over 20 years, Liebman is now launching a new group, Expansions, with his breakthrough Samsara CD. Never one to rest on his laurels or the music from his significant past, Liebman remains a spiritual and musical leader for younger and older musicians who want to forge their own paths rather than follow. As Dave says of his latest group and music, “the direction is eclectic…with an emphasis on free collective improvising, along with rhythmic/harmonic devices that have become so prevalent…explored by the new generation, who, like their predecessors, have changed the jazz language.”
Rounding out the band are newcomers and veterans alike: saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Alex Ritz.
The excitement will be tangible and the evening historic: a chance to see two saxophone veterans and their latest bands, both of whom have never sounded better, stronger and more committed to their art than they are today.
For more information on Greg Abate
For more information on Dave Liebman
Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe. In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.
Greg is joined by the incomparable talents of Kent Hewitt on piano, Harvie S on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums!
In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87. Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.
Greg is also an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is also a very active jazz clinician with co. sponsorship from the Conn -Selmer Instrument Co., conducting workshops and master classes through the U.S and abroad. For more artist details visit: www.gregabate.com
What some say about Greg Abate: Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.” –Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Greg Abate and Band
4/23: Greg Abate @Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA
Be-Bop Road Warrior Greg Abate and His Quartet Making Rare New
Bedford Stop at the Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA
New Bedford, MA – Jazz alto sax legend Greg Abate brings his high power quartet to the Wamsutta Club in downtown New Bedford on Wednesday night, April 23, at 8 pm. The concert continues the long-running presentations by Whaling City Sound with proceeds to benefit the YWCA of Southestern Mass.
Two days after this performance, Mr. Abate and the same band head into the studio to record the music they will be premiering at the Wamsutta. This is a rare chance to hear a top-notch, all-star jazz group explore original music written for this moment, and which has not previously been played.
Although Mr. Abate is based in Rhode Island for many years, there is no telling where you might run into him, or better yet, catch his inspired performances. He is a regular at festivals, clinics, clubs and universities all over the world. His impressive body of recorded CDs showcases Greg with many of jazz’s legends in the rhythm section or as guest horn-players, so often so that you can count on it. Kenny Barron, Mark Soskin, Rufus Reid, Harvie S, Bill Miele, Paul Del Nero, Paul Nagel and others are just a few of those who can be heard on Greg’s recordings.
Keyboard wizard, composer and educator Tim Ray is the leader of the “chamber jazz” group Tre Corda, but that does not keep him from performances at places like the White House and Carnegie Hall, or on TV shows like the “Tonight Show” and “Letterman.” Recently Tim was part of this same rhythm section at Scullers in Boston with Greg’s baritone-heavy sextet. Currently on the faculty of Berklee College, Tim has taught at all of the major colleges, universities and conservatories in Boston.
John Lockwood has performed at the Wamsutta Club many times as one of the anchors and treasures of guitarist John Stein’s Quartet over the last 5+ years. If Mr. Lockwood is in the band, it is understood that the level of the music just went up a few gears.
Behind the drums for this evening is master drummer Mark Walker. A major contributor to the success of the bands Oregon and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Mark was a long-time member of Paquito D’Rivera’s touring group. He is a Grammy winner, and also teaches at Berklee College in Boston.
The Wamsutta Club is now recognized as a relaxed and pleasant setting for acoustic jazz. Comfortable and quiet, the audience is there to hear music. A limited food menu will be available, along with a cahs bar.
The Wamsutta Club, at 427 County Street, corner of Union Street, in downtown New Bedford, has plenty of on-site, easy-in/easy-out parking and is handicap accessible.
Music industry consultant and publicist Ginny Shea has garnered international exposure for her clients through radio and video promotion, print media, and her vast industry network.
