The Taos Jazz Bebop Society presents the Greg Abate Quartet

A tribute to Richie Cole

AFTER MORE THAN a year of “downtime” due to COVID restrictions, international jazz saxophonist Greg Abate returns to Taos for a longawaited concert. Joining Greg onstage will be pianist John Rangel, bassist Terry Burns and drummer Pete Amahl.

Abate is a post-hard-bop soloist with a worldwide reputation and following. He established himself with a series of highly regarded albums, among them “Kindred Spirits”– a collaboration with one of his primary influences, Phil Woods. Like Woods, Abate is a singer who happens to be an instrumentalist.

Abate regularly plays in Taos – he loves our town and has many friends and fans here. His upcoming concert is planned as a tribute to the late Richie Cole, the great alto saxophonist who performed with Abate to a sold-out Harwood audience in 2018. The two met when they were both at Berklee College of Music. Both come out of the same bebop tradition and with many of the same inspirations. In the early ‘90s the two recorded “Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, live at Chans.” In addition, Abate has made 17 other recordings.

Abate tours the world playing jazz festivals, jazz societies and jazz clubs throughout Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, the UK, and points east. In 2020, the year of COVID was different, and he spent much of the year composing and arranging the music for his collaboration with the near-legendary pianist Kenny Barron. The two musicians recorded their project in September of 2020. The resulting double CD, “Magic Dance– the Music of Kenny Barron” was recently released to critical acclaim and spent seven weeks at #1 on the JazzWeek charts.

Their collaboration is unique in that all the tunes were written by Kenny Barron – and then “transformed” by Abate’s arrangements. Best known as an alto player, the recording also demonstrates that Abate is comfortable and compelling on tenor, soprano, baritone and flute as well. He will be bringing his alto and flute to the Harwood.

A native of Rhode Island, Abate was inducted into that state’s Hall of Fame in 2016.

Both “Magic Dance, The Music and Kenny Barron” and “Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde, Live at Chan’s” will be available for purchase after the Harwood concert – credit cards, cash or checks accepted.