Greg Abate, a legend on the local jazz scene, is in the zone. He's feeling good, playing great, and seeing a bright future for himself and the jazz music he loves. He'll be releasing a new album, Evolution, his first in two years, and he's come out of a dark passage of time in which the evils of life quite nearly got to him.

"I went through this kind of test and made it through," says Abate on a cell phone while chauffering his kids around. "And I feel stronger for it." That bad patch was plagued by the death of Abate's parents, a divorce (including separation from his kids) and, not surprisingly, a career slump. For a while, the symptoms sent him reeling and, to help him cope, he had a brush with the jazz demons, if you know what I mean. "I feel fortunate to have come out of it," he says, a bright edge on his voice. "I thought about what the alternative would be, and I'm glad I'm here."

The jazz scene is glad, too. After a fruitful career of recording, touring, and playing with iconic talent, the alto saxophonist deserves to be front and center of local, national, and international jazz. The dude has paid his dues and is now among the elite on the scene. He's been on big band caravans through Europe, and played in major clubs in the States and abroad, including Russia. He's also played with some giants: Elvin Jones, James Moody, Kenny Barron, Oliver Jones, Paquito D'Rivera, Rufus Reed, Kenny Washington, Lionel Hampton . . . The list goes on.

Obviously, though, Abate has derived the most satisfaction by achieving that holy grail for which so many jazz artists search: leading the band. Evolution is the tenth record he's done as a bandleader. But it's the first time that he's made an album entirely of original music. His quartet, featuring bassist Harvie S., pianist James Williams, and drummer Billy Hart, is awesome. "There's a feeling of heaven now in what I'm playing. We're playing with more energy than ever before."

Abate is also adding tricks to his book. "My playing has evolved the last couple of years." He admits that at one point not too long, when he was feeling pretty good about his progress as a player, a colleague told him he was getting lazy and not sounding so hot. It was an eye-opener, the first time in a long while that he had been criticized. But when Abate realized his friend was right, it marked a turnaround. Today, after re-dedicating himself to his art and re-establishing a solid work ethic, he feels he's reached a new level.

"I've got a glimpse of the kind of player I can become," he says. "I think I'm gonna keep getting better. I'm never satisfied. I've got lots to do. But I can tell you that I've got my sights set."

Now that he's solidified his standing on alto sax and improved his focus, Abate is able to spread the good word of jazz to his students as an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College, where he's teaching, among other things, improvisation. "Teaching young adults about jazz theory and improvisation is totally fulfilling now," he says. "Not only that, but because I've lived through the pitfalls of the music business, I can teach them a little about what to avoid and how to live their life. There's nothing wrong with trying to lead a successful life. It's not always about music. But it's important to follow through with things and stay healthy. I try to teach that."

How does Abate view the world of jazz? Is it all sweetness and light from here on? Not exactly. "But I try to tell cynical friends of mine that jazz is not dead, that if you don't reach out, the world is not going to give you anything back. It's not like going to the store and buying food off the shelf. You have to look for it, try to reach out and take it for yourself." It's an ambitious attitude, considering the fact that many musicians do feel that jazz is on the ebb. "I play in the tradition of the masters," Abate asserts. "I'm into hard bop, Dizzy Gillespie, and the great songs from the American songbook. I'm on the shoulders of the great ones and that's what jazz means to me. I'll take it where I need to go." Yep, he's in the zone.

Of course, it would help, Abate believes, if our culture did more to foster music and the arts. "To me, jazz is life. It's second nature to me. But I don't think the government cares much about the arts. They could start a trend and say they want more of a rebirth of jazz, but they don't. It's hard to get people to be involved if the believers aren't believing. There are friends of mine in this state that don't believe in it.

"I had the desire to be more well-known. I knew my music needed to get out there. My nature is to be playing music. It's not theatrical. I don't need to perform, but I do need to make music."

And that's exactly what he's doing, with a list of projects as long as his arm in the offing. "I've got a big band CD, a solo album, a standards album, a tenor album, a real modern bop disc all on the burner. I've got a lot ideas, not enough time to get to them all!"

The Greg Abate Quartet (aka the Evolution Band) will celebrate the release of their album this Saturday, November 2 at 8 p.m. at Chan's in Woonsocket. Call (401) 765-1900.

M-80. A couple of weeks back, I wrote about punk rock and how it's been a mainstay of the local scene ever since it's inception decades ago. One of the reasons why the punk scene is as hale as it is lies in the hands of M-80, the South County-based band that knows how to rock the house. The band, which has been well-represented in the Phoenix Best Music Poll over the past couple of years, will be bringing down the Met Café next week to celebrate the release of their brand new album.

"We had about 40 songs to choose from," says the band's Christian Blaney, "and ended up picking the best 14. We're really pleased with the record because we feel it sounds like real songs and recorded on the fly."

Recorded in Wakefield at Mike Viele's Groundswell Studio, the disc, their first in two years, roars with the power and glory of gut-busting punk. But it's not just a monochromatic slice of two- and three-chord blurs. Rather, in Blaney's words, "it covers punk styles from Blink-182 to Slipknot," and provides a colorful, multifaceted view of loud, fast rock.

"Over the last year or so we were overthinking things," Blaney admits. "We had gotten to the point where we were starting to garner attention from the Rock Hunt and the Best Music Poll, and people were coming up to us and telling us what to do." The thought of success and those voices began to influence the band's approach to songwriting and things got bleak, unfulfilling. They ended up producing material that didn't satisfy; they even had to scrap an EP that they had prepared because they felt it didn't accurately represent the band. "We went into the session and came out miserable. We had some band growing pains," says Blaney. "We didn't go with our instincts."

This time out, they've learned their lesson. With Viele, they went in and pounded out songs. "We got back to the fun again. When we were writing it was no holds barred. We write hardcore songs, punk songs, whatever we felt like writing. That's why we feel like we're back on track. We think it's the best record we've done."

Blaney credits the personality and chemistry of the band with elevating the new album to serious punk heights. I would also add that these guys can play. Dave and Johnny and Christian are massive, spot-on instrument dudes who know their way around a song. Too often punk rock bands hide behind distortion and ungodly playing just because it's "punk." Yeah, that's happened before to good effect with bands who had songs to sing, but if you just get out there and bash away without a melody or an effective vision, it can be miserable. M-80 embodies the very best punk has to offer. "We've been around for three years, and we're seeing new crowds come out each time we plays," says Blaney, adding that their reputation must be growing. "It comes down to what you're playing. And if what you're playing is good music, then that's saying something."

M-80 will celebrate on Friday, November 8 at the Met Café. The show is all-ages and will also feature Last Mission and the Magnums. And check it out: everyone who attends gets a free CD. Call (401) 861-2142.

WANDERING EYE. AS220 will feature the indie rock of Ellison on Friday night. They'll share the bill with Tizzy from Northampton, Massachusetts (female-fronted indie punky-pop with quirky hooks), Well (indie-electronica), and the Jupiter Project (indie-electronica from Boston). Doors will open at 9, and the price is $6. Ellison has also finished their CD, which I'll be reporting on soon. Another really good band with a Newport connection, Tagging Satellites, will be at AS220 on Saturday.

Also wanted to let you know that Delta Clutch are playing at the Blackstone in Cumberland on Saturday (the 2nd), just before they go into the studio with an unnamed famous producer to make a hit record. We can't wait! Also on the bill at the Blackstone are the Jim James Band and Mike Diplomat and the Misprints.

The first installment of the "Improv in Prov" series will be held at the Living Room, Sunday (the 3rd), with Baylies Band, Gala Jive Jut, Rooftop Suicide Club, Apollo Sunshine, Munch, Modern Day Urban Barbarians, and Medea Connection.

Finally, the Fast Actin' Fuses are temporarily out of commission due to the loss of their vocalist, Kevin Borowski (aka Ski, aka Lovely Kevin Darling, etc.). No, he's not dead. Everyday life just got to be too much for the esteemed frontman. Adios, amigo! The band has decided to do the unthinkable and carry on without him. All wildmen/frontmen are encouraged to apply. Get info from jdarga@UMassD.Edu. No teetotalers, junkies, or architects please.

E-mail me with your music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.

Issue Date: November 1 - 7, 2002