Sax Under the Bridge: Greg Abate Quartet, Dave Liebman Group 'Expansions' at Narrows

Posted 9/4/14

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 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Sax Under the Bridge: Greg Abate Quartet, Dave Liebman Group 'Expansions' at Narrows

Posted

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 p.m. 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 bandmates 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 spent several years with Lyle Lovett, has shared the stage with Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and has been 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 the 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 prevalently 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.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here