Stonington Galleries

The gWatson Gallery is presenting the Greg Abate Quartet in concert on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 in the Gallery at 68 Main Street, Stonington, Maine.

Greg Abate will be playing in Stonington following a summer tour of European jazz festivals. Abate is a saxophonist, flutist, composer and educator who performs 150 days a year in concerts and clubs around the globe. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Abate played lead alto in the Ray Charles Orchestra after Berklee. Leaving the Charles band, he formed his own group, Channel One. He later played tenor sax in the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under the leadership of Dick Johnson.

Abate recorded his first CD live at Birdland in New York City in 1991. Since then he has been a leader on fourteen recordings including EVOLUTION, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2004. Abate is most frequently described as a post hard bop musician but his music transverses a wide spectrum of modern jazz. His musical style is a distillation of swing’s easygoing vibe and bop’s more animated groove; his voice is unique.

Greg Abate is a professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and conducts workshops and master classes in the U.S. and abroad.

Local musicians will form the rhythm section of Abate’s quartet at the Gallery with Peter Dembski on piano, John Gallagher on bass and Seth Kearns on drums.

Music will begin at 7:30 PM. Seating will be open with a limited number of tables available. Coffee, ice cream and deserts will be served. Tickets can be purchased at the gWatson Gallery and the Stonington Ice Cream Company. Telephone reservations are accepted, 367-2900.