Greg Abate
Greg Abate | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 1947 Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Jazz musician, composer, arranger, music educator |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Known for | Saxophone, flute |
Greg Abate (born May 31, 1947) is an accomplished jazz musician known for his skills on the saxophone and flute, as well as his work as a composer and arranger. Raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, he began his musical journey with the clarinet during his fifth-grade year.
Career
Abate pursued his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and spent several years working in California before returning to Berklee in 1972 to finish his degree. Between 1973 and 1974, he was a member of the Ray Charles band, performing on alto saxophone. Shortly thereafter, he established the sextet Channel One, which produced their only album, Without Boundaries, released in 1980. While residing in Rhode Island, Abate became part of Sax Odyssey and Duke Bellair's Jazz Orchestra. In 1986, he joined Dick Johnson’s ensemble to play tenor saxophone in the Artie Shaw band. His collaborations also include performances with Jerome Richardson and Red Rodney. Beyond performing, Abate has contributed to music education through teaching positions at Rhode Island College.
In recognition of his contributions to music, Abate was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in April 2016.
Discography
- Bop City: Live at Birdland (Candid, 1991)
- Straight Ahead (Candid, 1993)
- Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde (Candid, 1995)
- It's Christmas Time (Brownstone Recordings, 1995)
- Bop Lives! (1201 Music/Blue Chip Jazz, 1996)
- Happy Samba (Blue Chip, 1998)
- Evolution (1201 Music, 2002)
- Horace Is Here (Koko Jazz, 2005)
- Monsters in the Night (Koko Jazz, 2006)
- Horace Is Here: A Tribute to Horace Silver (Rhombus, 2011)
- The Greg Abate Quintet Featuring Phil Woods (Posi-Tone, 2012)
- Motif (Whaling City Sound, 2014)
- Kindred Spirits: Live at Chan's (Whaling City Sound, 2016)
- Road to Forever (Whaling City Sound, 2016)
- Gratitude (Whaling City Sound, 2019)
- Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron (Whaling City Sound, 2021)
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1947 births
- American male saxophonists
- People from Fall River, Massachusetts
- Living people
- Candid Records artists
- 21st-century American saxophonists
- 21st-century American male musicians
- Berklee College of Music alumni