O’s Notes: Greg Abate is mixing things up on Gratitude; a scintillating live set recorded at The Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford, MA, an intimate setting with one-take, spontaneous recordings. The program includes mostly original music, some new, some old and a few classic covers. There’s high style swinging on “Bop Lives” with a cool solo by bassist John Lockwood. Lockwood returns to the spotlight on “Jitterbug Waltz”, this time sharing the stage with pianist Tim Ray and drummer Mark Walker for great solos. Greg is literally “In the Stratosphere” leading the way with a blistering lead line on baritone sax. Abate plays alto, tenor and flute on this collection, a lively encounter!