Positive Energy – Greg Abate Quartet

“…one of the most gifted alto and soprano saxophonists recording today…” -Jazz Wax

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Greg Abate – alto sax
John Rangel – piano
Terry Burns – bass
David Post – drums

This recording is a super-charged, diverse flow of energetic, original jazz that never lets the listener down. A push of musical boundaries that challenge each of the artists and challenge the listener.

A collaboration of seasoned jazz musicians setting out to explore original compositions in a session in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Greg Abate has been making his yearly pilgrimage to New Mexico collaborating with John Rangel on piano for the last 16 years. They are both dedicated jazz players and educators. Terry Burns on Bass and David Post on Drum Set round out the group with solid time and tasty solos. This recording has a broad range of jazz compositions and moods and is full of positive energy.

Individually and collectively this quartet of world-class musicians do not disappoint!

REVIEW:

Alto saxist Greg Abate is a throwback to the big bold and soulful sounds akin to Cannonball Adderley, which means he’s got the Charlie Parker bug, but with some added churchliness. It works perfectly her, as he swings with John Rangel/p, Terry Burns/b and Dave  Post/dr through a mix of band-composed tunes. He’s sweet and lyrical on “Easy Living” and boogaloos over Burns’ bass line on ”Song For My Brother”. There’s an irresistible “Jeanine” groove for Abate to long board on during “ Positive Energy” and he digs in with Rangel on the boppingly crisp “Growing All The Time”. A dark and moody “Little Bird” features Burns and Rangel, while the rhythm team is playful on the joyous “Monkism”. Something else!

-George Harris for Jazz Weekly

REVIEW:

Alto saxophonist Greg Abate has been around. In addition to recording since 1980, Greg has won the admiration of leading players, from Herb Pomeroy and Rufus Reid to Kenny Barron and Phil Woods. He’s one of the smoothest players, with a honey-coated tone and Parkerian speed and bluesy soul.

The new album, Positive Energy (Summit), showcases Greg at his very best. The moment you put on the recording, you can’t take it off. His sound is that seductive. His quartet features Greg Abate (as), John Rangel (p), Terry Burns (b) and David Post (d).

Greg is a bopper at heart and blows long, clean solos that are lyrical and peppered with tags of other songs. John on the piano is a driving force, with Terry’s bass swinging away and David on drums keeping the cauldron bubbling. [Photo above of John Rangel]

…As Phil Woods wrote in the liner notes of The Greg Abate Quintet, Featuring Phil Woods (Rhombus), which I posted about in 2012, “I sleep a lot better knowing there are alto players like Greg! It was a joy to make music with him, and he writes good songs that are challenging.”

-Jazz Wax

REVIEW:

 Veteran saxophonist Greg Abate, while based in New England, has been visiting New Mexico on a yearly basis for quite some time. While there, he always renews his ties with pianist John Rangel with whom he has collaborated for 16 years. Despite their longtime friendship, Positive Energy is their first recording together.

 While Abate is skilled on several reed instruments including the flute, he sticks to the alto sax (his strongest ax) throughout Positive Energy. A superior bop-based player, on this session he adapts to the modal playing of Rangel, sounding at his most modern. Their quartet with bassist Terry Burns and drummer David Post (who have occasional brief solos) performs six Abate originals, four songs by the pianist, and the standard “Easy Living.”

The new material, which falls into the modern post-bop mainstream, inspires consistently inventive statements by Abate and Rangel. The opener, “Positive Energy”, has Rangel playing a rhythm a little reminiscent of “Seven Steps To Heaven” while the melody and chord changes are quite original. While one could imagine Thelonious Monk composing John Rangel’s dark “Monkism”, the pianist makes no attempt to copy Monk and instead plays in his own adventurous style. “Lookin’ Ahead” lives up to its title with Abate sounding quite passionate and stretching himself. Some of the other songs include the jazz waltz “Hazy Moon”, “Song For My Brother” which has some soulful piano playing, Rangel’s somewhat mournful “Little Bird”, and his “Growing All The Time” which is a relative of “What Is This Thing Called Love”.  The latter, along with “J.A.G.” (based on “When Lights Are Low”), is the most boppish of the originals. “Giving Flight To Imagination” and “Deep Seated Reality” are serious modal numbers that feature Rangel in top form while Abate makes a masterful statement on “Easy Living”.

Greg Abate and John Rangel bring out the best in each other throughout Positive Energy. It is very good that they have finally produced a joint recording.

-Scott Yanow for the New York City Jazz Record