style=”text-align: center;”>click here“…Gibb’s marimbas are a nice touch on ‘Atlantis’…The drummer brings the most personality to the record with a delicious crashing solo on ‘Rotunda’ and extra rhythmic juice on ‘You Taught My Heart to Sing.’…On the three originals (one by each member) that close the album, in particular Gonzalez’s irrepressible ‘Brazilian Girls,’ the amount of pianistic imitation lessons. (Gonzalez) On a solo rendition of ‘Naima’ he also acquits himself tastefully, if not originally…” Michael J. West
Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs, Essiet Okon Essiet
The title says all you need to know about how three musicians—Gonzalez, Gibbs and Essiet—tackle the music (and more) of legendary pianist McCoy Tyner. Pianist Benito Gonzalez, drummer Gerry Gibbs and bass player Essiet Okon Essiet rally around the music of McCoy Tyner on their new Whaling City Sound recording and the result is pure jazz joy.
Lavishly arranged and beautifully played Passion Reverence Transcendence is an unequivocal triumph of sound and spirit. Gonzalez, Gibbs, and Essiet celebrate Tyner with gusto. Gonzalez interprets Tyner’s stuff aggressively, passionately, with modern flourishes to keep pace with Gibbs’ driving rhythms. Gibbs, in typical fashion, charges into it with his brawny, supersonic jazz drumming. Essiet is critical and fabulous in his support role, diving into a blend of traditional, contemporary and fusion lines that pushes the arrangements into some seriously sparkling terrain.
Produced by Gibbs and beautifully captured, the recording feels live without the rawness.
And it’s all ridiculously high energy. The trio doesn’t bother kicking back much. Gibbs and Essiet drive the opening tunes, “Fly With the Wind” and “Just Feelin’,” along with “The Greeting,” which features a nice interlude from Essiet. Some of it’s playful, like “Inner Glimpse,” which finds Gonzalez and Gibbs holding onto the rhythmic motif while Essiet dances playfully around. After digging into nine Tyner compositions, the three artists each contribute one of their own tunes to close the record. Essiet launches into the wryly elaborate “Tyner/Train Express” and Gibbs serves up the stylish, bluesy jazz of “Between Friends.” The closer, Gonzalez’s “Brazilian Girls,” explodes with melody about a minute in and spends the rest of its seven-minute length making good on that initial promise. While they are not Tyner compositions per se, they are in the spirit of the great pianist and they settle in nicely with the compositions that came before it on the recording.
Together, the trio embraces, and even supercharges Tyner’s vibe without succumbing to cliches. The material is always melodic, always together, thanks to the dexterity and high energy you’d expect from each of these musicians. They’ve proven themselves on their independent projects, and they prove themselves on Passion Reverence Transcendence: The Music of McCoy Tyner.687606010222_SalesSheet
Grammy-winning jazz artist Samara Joy does a “star turn” on
Eric Wyatt’s A Song of Hope
Eric Wyatt’s 2021 record A Song for Hope on the Whaling City Sound label is an adventurous, colorful, unpredictable, and wide-ranging session, a tour de force of immense creativity and incredible vision. It’s also something of a departure from his last effort, The Golden Rule: For Sonny, also on WCS, which featured the saxophonist in a more straight-ahead jazz setting.
A Song for Hope is also, as it turns out, a star turn for one of Wyatt’s guest performers, none other than Samara Joy, the young jazz vocalist that, quite unexpectedly, happened to win not one but two Grammy Awards last week, one for Best New Artist, and another for Best Jazz Vocal for Linger Awhile. Samara Joy now records for Verve.
Wyatt invited Samara Joy to sing two songs on A Song for Hope, and both are marvelous, in a way, a foreshadowing of the singer’s incredible talent. The first track, “Say Her Name,” is a luminous tribute to Breonna Taylor. “I was looking for her to convey the pain of that event,” says Wyatt, and she did. “When I listen back to it, I remember the hope we all felt in making these songs, and Samara Joy was an excellent part of that.”
Samara Joy is also featured on Wyatt’s soulful take on Sting’s “Fragile.” The singer delivers an ethereal, magical performance, accompanied by Wyatt on soprano sax. Listening to these tracks, it’s no wonder that Samara Joy got the attention she did, both from Wyatt, who invited her to sing with him, and more recently, by the Academy, who awarded her such a distinguished prize.
That said, no one was more surprised by the win than the vocalist herself. “I can’t even believe—I’ve been watching y’all on TV for so long!” she said, in an attempt at an acceptance speech. “All of you inspire me because of who you are. You express exactly who you are authentically. So, to be here by just being myself, I’m just so thankful.”
As it turns out, Wyatt’s recording was a big step in Samara Joy’s career journey so far. In fact, she parlayed several important steps into a recording contract with Verve.
Wyatt sensed he wanted an impressive singer to guest on his recording and he knew that Samara Joy had won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition back in 2019 at the age of 21. She had been referred to the session by one of his musicians, bass player Mike Boone, a relative of Samara Joy.
Wyatt has always had an eye for talent. A Song of Hope features drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Eric Wheeler, and pianist Donald Vega along with an all-star horn section and a few additional guests.
“Samara became a blessing in disguise,” says Wyatt. He had originally thought he’d produce an instrumental version of “Fragile.” “When I heard her sing, I knew she could convey the feeling of both of those songs. And she did.”
O’s Notes: Tenor saxophonist Eric Wyatt leads the charge with an excellent band that sizzles and pops throughout the session. We enjoyed their cover of “Fragile” featuring vocalist Samara Joy, the funky “Fur Live”, “Contemplation” and Watts’ rousing drum solo on “Of Things To Come ime”, a duet with Wyatt. We also enjoyed “One For Hakim” featuring the entire band, a strong showing for trumpeter Theo Croker, Wyatt and the fierce rhythm section: Donald Vega (p), Eric Wheeler (b) and Jeff Watts (d).
On A Song of Hope, his second album for Whaling City Sound, saxophonist Eric Wyatt offers more than hope; he offers assurance that contemporary jazz is alive and well in and around his home base of Brooklyn, NY. Wyatt, the godson of another rather well-known saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, performs in groups of various sizes, from quartet to octet, with vocals by Samara Joy on two numbers, “Fragile” and Wyatt’s “Say Her Name.” The almost-constants are pianist Donald Vega, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Jeff Watts, who are on board for eight numbers but step aside for a pair of Wyatt-Watts duets and are replaced by bassist Mike Boone and his talented fourteen-year-old son, drummer Mekhi Boone, on John Coltrane‘s “Central Park West” and McCoy Tyner‘s “Contemplation.”
Watch Jeff “Tain” Watts and Delbert Felix meet after over 25 years!
Whaling City Sound, whalingcitysound.com Chris Lowery (tr.), Theo Croker (tr., flic.), Clifton Anderson (trne), EricWyatt (sop., ten., voc), Donald Vega (p.), Eric Wheeler, Mike Boone (cb.), Jeff Tain Watts, Mekhi Boone (batt., voc.), Kahlil Qwame Bell (perc.), Samara Joy (voc.).
New York, ottobre 2020.
This record is the bomb. We announced it last October on the occasion of an article who took stock of the situation of jazz musicians in New York during the full-blown period of the pandemic. In reality, its publication was scheduled for last May / June, while it came out in September. But it was worth the wait. Here we discover – and with pleasure – a greater versatility of the Brooklyn tenorist, with an attention to that spirituality which is now overwhelmingly current and present in certain tributes that he has decided to dedicate to some of the prominent personalities of modern music (Coltrane’s “Central Park West,” McCoy Tyner’s “Contemplation,” Sting’s “Fragile). But there is not only this: the Latin-tinged “Sunset Park Bonita”, the funkish gait of “Fur Live” (a composition by the young and emerging trumpeter Chris Lowery), the bop of “Blues For RH” (dedicated to Roy Hargrove), the metropolitan emotionality of the title-track, ultimately the whole album is pervaded by a contagious energy that accounts for an in-depth and visceral knowledge of the jazz language. With a phrasing poised between Rollins and Coltrane, EricWyatt has always loved to surround himself with solid (Jeff Watts, Clifton Anderson, Donal Vega) and new ones (Theo Croker, Chris Lowery, 15-year-old Mekhi Boone on drums) brilliant personalities of American jazz. Once again he hit the mark.
Gaeta
Publicity: Jazz Tokyo (Japanese), Musica Jazz Magazine (Italian), Jazz Journal, 91.5 KIOS, The Art Music Lounge, Arkiv Jazz exclusive interview, Jazz News, Music Web International, All About Jazz, Socrates Sculpture Park Performance, New York City Jazz Record, KL International Jazz, ALL MUSIC, JazzTimes, Audiophile Audition, OpenSkyJazz.com, DownBeat, Malay Mail E-Paper, Malay Mail, Amazon Business, O’s Place Issue 25.4
Its been a “behind the scenes” kind of summer for me, been working on my next album and writing my book and prepping for some new forthcoming shows, but i wanted to let you know i haven’t forgotten about you! Here’s a little update on things happening this month.
First, I’m thrilled to announce that my Terry Gibbs Songbook album has made it to #28 on the charts and is doing quite well through the country and in Europe. Incase you haven’t gotten your copy yet, get yours here:
Im also very excited about an upcoming concert I’ll be doing later this month at Bellworks in Holmdel, NJ. On August 27th at 7pm, Ill be joined by jazz vocalist Charenee Wade and the Grammy nominated Nicole Zuraitis for a salute to the great women of the song! It’s going to be a fabulous show and certainly not one to be missed! So….. don’t miss it!!
DANNY BACHER’S GIVING A VIRTUAL CONCERT ON SIETE DE MAYO!
Hello everybody,
As normalcy approaches, I’m starting to get really busy again, and I’m grateful for that, indeed. Not just doing virtual shows, but actually performing in front of real live people – what a concept!
I do have one more virtual show coming up on Friday, May 7th at 7pm at one of my very favorite “venues,” Metropolitan Zoom. No need to schlep into the city and pay for parking just yet – I’ll be performing right in your living rooms!
On Saturday, August 29 at 7 pm, you can join Danny Bacher, an award-winning singer/saxophonist and entertainer extraordinaire, as he holds court at the Mansion with Jason Teborek on piano and brings to you an unforgettable night of swingin’ jazz, American popular song, storytelling and laughs with his signature style and wit! Danny Bacher is an award-winning entertainer who is a master of the demanding soprano sax and who combines his virtuosity on the instrument with a talent for comedy and narrative storytelling. He’s a smooth and cool individual who makes hot jazz and pop, cut from the cloth of the great Louis Prima and Mel Torme.
All performances will happen rain or shine under the large wrap-around covered porch. Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center is located at 240 Belleville Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ. Visit NiCoriStudios.com for tickets and more information.
Singer and saxophonist Danny Bacher will perform “Get Happy” as part of Lynn University’s Mabel Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret at Lincoln Center Comes to Live at Lynn on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center. Bacher honors the three Louis—Armstrong, Jordan and Prima. Tickets cost $40.
“The way I like to connect to my audience is through humor and lightness,” says saxophonist, vocalist, and feel-good entertainer Danny Bacher. “l like to convey a positive message.”
Delivered without irony, these sentiments serve as the baseline philosophy behind Still Happy, the follow-up to Danny’s debut recording of 2016, Swing That Music. Whether conveyed through words or deeds, they reflect Danny’s North Star mandate: He aims to please.
He is a pure soul, a humanist at heart, whose creativity aligns perfectly with a desire to spread joy. This record is the latest installment in Danny’s vision of a sing-along, bouncing-ball world. It is a simple reminder: In the hands of a master storyteller, music is magic.
Still Happy features an artful marriage of tunes and performance – Danny leads us through a musical amusement park for grown-ups, replete with razzle, dazzle and hold-your-breath meditations. There’s great humanity here – a coupling of warmth and Wow! – elevating our mood like a fireworks show at the Jersey shore.
And much to speak about: Allen Farnham’s nifty arrangements, crafted to energize Danny’s indefatigable spirit; a rhythm section plus horns plus percussion galvanized tight by purpose and desire (beautifully acknowledged in the artist’s special thank-you’s); Danny’s own “In Spite of All This, I’m Still Happy,” and “Joie de Vivre,” each complementing perfectly the project’s theme and variations; signature moments of song, style and wit, proving that Danny is a triple threat capable of killing (or, at least, injuring) a dedicated audience; and a wry yet reverential send-up of
“Hooray For Holiday,” a peek behind the dream factory curtain, replete with Danny’s original, happy-making lyrics (You’ll be splurgin’ to see a surgeon/He’ll make your tuchas look good…).
“Hollywood” proves to be a touchstone, a contrast to the album’s final track, “Cloudy/Nuages.” Together they reveal the yin and yang of Danny’s personality. The former is exuberant, bracing, filled with vivacity; the latter, ruminative, introspective, private.
One imagines that Danny reached back to the methods of ancient Greek actors, deploying the masks of comedy and tragedy to communicate emotion. These performances, however, are less binary than they appear. Nuance prevails. Danny aims for the heart (and feet) by endowing these tracks – and all others – with sophisticated subtlety.
One hears traces of calypso (“Get Happy”), and doo-wop (“Shaking The Blues Away”), and pure Billie Holiday (“Getting Some Fun Out of Life”).
Together, they – and all other tunes – constitute a clear affirmation of both concept and execution.
So, while Danny makes clear that he is still happy, repeated spins of this record reveal there’s a band and a producer who feel exactly the same way. Fans to follow. Guaranteed.
Jeff Levenson
June 2018
Still Happy
Produced by Jeff Levenson
Executive Producers: Joel M. Bacher, Danny Bacher
Recorded at Teaneck Sound Studio,
October 17th – 18th, 2018
Recording Engineer Dave Kowalski
Mixing Engineer: Jon D’uva
Mastered by Greg Calbi, Sterling Sound
Danny Bacher – Vocals, Soprano Saxophone
Allen Farnham – Piano
Dean Johnson – Bass
Alvester Garnett – Drums
Harry Allen – Tenor Saxophone
Charles Caranicas -Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Rolando Morales-Matos – Percussion:
All arrangements by Allen Farnham
Co-arranged by Danny Bacher
Danny Bacher uses Silverstein Ligatures
Alvester Garnett plays D’Amico Drums
Harry Allen plays D’Addario Select Jazz Reeds
Rolando Morales-Matos plays Pearl Percussion
Artist Thank-You’s
To the following, I want to express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks for making this all possible.
First, to my beautiful and supportive wife Erin, for all of her love, understanding and inspiration; my parents, Jane and Joel, for helping me realize my dreams, for all their love and support, and for putting me on this planet; my brother Josh, sister-in-law Nadia, and little niece Millie, for their help and love, in life and on this project; my grandmother “MaMa” Jean, who helped shape who I am today, and whose valuable lessons in life I cherish always; and my grandmother Ann and grandfathers Harvey and Herb, whom I miss everyday and hold dear in my mind, spirit and heart.
To all of my loving family, loyal fans and, of course, “Bacher’s Backers,” who helped get me to a financial place much appreciated for this recording project. Special thanks to Dr. Daniel Suffin (“DS”); Yanni, Arlene, and li’l Eddie Kaloudis; John McLellan; Carol Scibelli; David Rousso; and Uncle Jon and Aunt Kathy Van Orden. And of course, much love and thanks to the machatunim, Toni, Chuck, and Mikey!
To all of my artistic friends that have given me such guidance and advice through this process, including: Steve Tyrell, Marilyn Maye, Roseanna Vitro, Nancy Marano, Barbara Maier, KT Sullivan, Bob Mover, Ed Joffe, Jason Teborek, Alexis Cole, Chris Byars, Dominic Chianese, Debbi Bush-Whiting, Marilyn Lester, Angelo Badalamenti, the late Lois Laurel Hawes, Richard Cramer, Bill Boggs, Steve Frumkin, Will Friedwald, and all my fellow Friars.
To my band: what an honor to have the support of such tremendous talents! Harry Allen, a true titan on the tenor; Charlie Caranicas, a marvel on trumpet and flugelhorn; Dean Johnson, a solid-rock time-keeper with a heart of gold; Alvester Garnett, the jovial spirit and heartbeat of the ensemble; Rolando Morales-Matos, for his mastery of percussion; and of course to my co-arranger and pianist, Allen Farnham, whose genius in arranging, abilities on the 88’s, and great attention to detail have been crucial to the success of this project.
I must also express gratitude to my producer, Jeff Levenson, whose artful mastery at the helm, both in and out of the studio, was exactly the right balance needed to take this album to heights that I couldn’t have foreseen.
Also, I must thank my family at Whaling City Sound, Neal Weiss and Ginny Shea, for believing in this project. And a special note of thanks to Ashley Perez; Andrea Valentini and Dave Kowalski at Teaneck Sound; Jon D’Uva, a master mixer; and Greg Calbi, the masterer in the mix!
In closing, making this record was a joy from start to finish, and I hope that after you have a listen, like myself, you’ll be “Still Happy!”
Enjoy! -Danny Bacher
TRACKS:
01. Getting Some Fun Out of Life (Burke/Leslie, BMG Gold Songs, Burke Music Co, ASCAP)
02. Laughing At Life (Briand/Saban, Cezame Metro Park, BMI)
03. In Spite of All This, I’m Still Happy (Bacher, Danny Bacher Music, ASCAP)
04. Shakin’ The Blues Away (Chuck, Chappell Edzioni, WB Music, ASCAP)
05. Hooray For Hollywood (Whiting/Mercer, Warner Bros Inc, ASCAP) Additional lyrics by Danny Bacher
06. Lucky To Be Me (Bernstein/Comdon/Green, Leonard Bernstein Music, Warner Bros, ASCAP)
07. Joie De Vivre (Bacher, Danny Bacher Music, ASCAP)
08. This Happy Madness Jobim/De Moraes/Lees, Corcavado Music, VA, BMI)
09. Joy Spring (Brown/Hendricks, Cherio, Melody Lane, Second Floor, BMI) Additional lyrics by Danny Bacher
10. Lazy Afternoon (Moross/La Touche, Chappell, Sony ATV Tunes, ASCAP)
11. Get Happy (Arlen/Koehler, SA Music, Warner Bros, ASCAP)
12. Cloudy/Nuages (Biederbecke/Reinhardt, ASCAP
JazzFlits, volume 14, no. 257
4.25.16
DANNY BACHER
Swing That Music
Whaling City Sound
Band:
Danny Bacher (vocals, soprano saxophone), Cyrille Aimée (vocals), Warren Vaché (cornet), Pete McGuinness (trombone), Dave Demsey, Houston Person (tenor saxophones), Jason Teborek (piano), Howard Alden (guitar), Ray Drummond (bass), Bill Goodwin (drums),
Danny’s Newsletter
Check out Danny’s newsletter! Learn more about “Swing That Music!”, watch videos and purchase his CD and tickets for his next show, June 27th, at the Bickford Theatre in NY!
The swing and rhythm & blues, which developed alongside bebop in the 1940s, are still being used as a source of inspiration. British pop singer Joe Jackson already revived the festive jump & jive in a distant past. Over here, in the Netherlands, we have (had) several bands which did the same. The name Jump’n Jive from Zwolle comes to mind. And the Amsterdam Bob Color, although they moved onto rock ’n roll. At the time, that was also the direction this music took: swing – jump ’n jive/rhythm & blues – rock ’n roll. But all this aside.
Danny Bacher is a young American singer, who knows his business. You can hear a touch of Michael Bublé in him, but with plenty of drive and lots of swinging. Bacher has a lot of fun performing, and it shows. He draws from the work of Louis Jordan for the jump and rhythm & blues. He gets ballads from Louis Armstrong, and polite rock ’n roll from Louis Prima, including the medley ‘Just a gigolo/I ain’t got nobody’. Upon first hearing, Bacher uses the possibilities which are given to him a bit politely, but equally lashes out considerably. He’s not only a singer, but also the soprano saxophonist. Bacher moves through the repertoire with ease, aided here and there by the French-American singer Cyrille Aimée. Of course she takes care of ‘La vie en rose’, sung in French. I suspect a lot of dancing goes on during his concerts. This music demands it.
Hessel Fluitman, translated from Dutch by Nico Cartenstadt
Background/Bio:
Danny Bacher is a bright new star on the jazz landscape with a distinctive voice and a gift for phrasing. Says The New York Times, “Swing That Music is effortless fun in a tribute to jazz forerunners. It is about making hot music but staying cool, about cutting up while maintaining effortless self-control revealing Bacher to be prodigiously talented.” With his unusually warm, soulful soprano sax sound and a swingin’ “A LIST” band of jazz royalty, you’ve got the next “new classic” album, Swing that Music! Bacher’s dynamic debut pays homage to three iconic fire-brand “Louis’:” Armstrong, Prima and Jordan, with rare gems from each of their original repertoires. Executive and post-produced by world class jazz Producer, Suzi Reynolds, with Grammy-nominated vocalist Roseanna Vitro as Producer, Bacher is set to launch straight onto the stages and into the hearts of music lovers around the world. Vitro confirms, “Danny is reminiscent of ‘triple talent’ icons like Louis Armstrong and Sammy Davis, Jr. He’s a serious jazz musician who holds his own improvising on sax or scatting with the best musicians on the scene…he has a natural flair for comedy and a voice full of soul.”
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.
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.
O’s Notes: Reed master Greg Abate celebrates the music of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron with Kenny Barron on piano, Dezron Douglas (b) and Johnathan Blake (d). This songbook is 14 of Kenny’s best compositions over two discs. There’s a jovial groove that swings on “Cooks Bay” with Greg varying the mood shifting from sax to flute. There is sweet sax harmony on “Innocence”, passion on “Rain” and a hard swing on “Voyage”, just a few of the highlights.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Monday, June 11, 8:00pmGreg Abate plays a night of Jazz & Latin music, accompanied by Fred Boyle on piano, Ron Ormsby on bass, and Bart Weisman on drums.
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.”
Fluent in both saxophone and the great language of bebop, Greg Abate has done nothing if not worked tirelessly across five decades to keep the flame of classic jazz lit. In the hands of a skilled musician like Abate—who made his new record, Road to Forever, with Tim Ray’s trusty trio featuring Ray (piano), John Lockwood (bass) and Mark Walker (drums/percussion)—life and music intertwine on his saxophone. The sound of his brass is an extension of his heart, with no filter or contrivance. Abate’s emotions emerge in nearly every note. “I relate music to life as a parallel outlook,” says Abate in the liner notes of his new recording. “Like many artists, life and music are working together in us to bring out creative ideas.”
In fact, there are creative ideas across all of Road to Forever. “The Dancing Panda” has an agile, danceable groove and a slinky, sexy chord progression. “Farewell Phil Woods” is dedicated to Abate’s inimitable bandmate and collaborator, a talent the bandleader calls “a force of nature.” Abate’s alto sax, laid lightly atop Ray’s piano, resonates with a deep melancholia. But the blue mood is fleeting, as the next track, “Whaling City Sound,” boasts a chill, electric fusion of keys and bass that lifts the tempo with the trio’s inventive ideas.
Abate is a musician that is born to play, to create, to collaborate. He is the consummate sharer of the stage, who respects talent and ability and knows that a high tide lifts all boats. Indeed, Ray, Walker, and Lockwood elevate every project, and Abate provides them with a slate of perfect, largely straight-ahead, compositions for them to dig into. Recorded in a single session with virtually no rehearsals, Road to Forever is as pure as it gets, and a tribute to the power and glory of real bebop.
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
The Live Phil/Greg Album Received 4 Stars From DownBeat!
Kindred Spirits: Live at Chan’s/Greg Abate & Phil Woods+Tim Ray Trio
JazzWeek peaked at #28 2/8/16
(click to enlarge)
United Kingdom
###
United Kingdom’s Magazine Jazz Journal
features a nice review of Abate’s work.
Greg Abate & Phil Woods
“Kindred Spirits Live at Chan’s,” one of the last of Phil Woods’ live recordings, with Prince of Be Bop, Greg Abate, featuring world class, all stars Mark Walker-drums, John Lockwood-bass, & Tim Ray-piano
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.
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.
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:
“Kindred Spirits Live at Chan’s,” one of the last of Phil Woods’ live recordings, with Prince of Be Bop, Greg Abate, featuring world class, all stars Mark Walker-drums, John Lockwood-bass, & Tim Ray-piano
Greg Abate
Info link: <http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv>http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv
<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.
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
###
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.
###
“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.
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.
Join us for the "Expressive Collective" art show Expressive Collective Opening Reception DeBlois Gallery, Middletown, featuring the incredible works of #CarolShelton and more!
Immerse yourself in artistry and creativity. For more information, visit debloisgallery.com or call +1 (401) 847-9977.
Follow Carol on Instagram @carolshelton5538 and Facebook www.facebook.com/carol.shelton.927 for updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her artistic journey.
#ExpressiveCollective #DeBloisGallery #ArtShow #MiddletownRI #WarwickArtist ... See MoreSee Less
"Expressive Collective" Sarah Hirsch, Chuck January, April Roderick, Carol Shelton May 4 - 26, 2024 debloisgallery.com +1 (401) 847-9977 134 Aquidneck Ave Middletown, RI 02842 Open in January and Febr...
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.
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click here“…Gibb’s marimbas are a nice touch on ‘Atlantis’…The drummer brings the most personality to the record with a delicious crashing solo on ‘Rotunda’ and extra rhythmic juice on ‘You Taught My Heart to Sing.’…On the three originals (one by each member) that close the album, in particular Gonzalez’s irrepressible ‘Brazilian Girls,’ the amount of pianistic imitation lessons. (Gonzalez) On a solo rendition of ‘Naima’ he also acquits himself tastefully, if not originally…” Michael J. West
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Motif Magazine
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.
