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Events
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JazzNOW: Ray Charles Tribute with Greg Abate
Saxophonist Greg Abate will close out GBH Music and JazzBoston’s 2026 JazzNOW series with a tribute to Ray Charles. Abate first met the legendary soul singer at age 23, and after hearing him play, Charles invited Abate to tour the world as the lead alto saxophonist in his orchestra. The program will feature some of Ray Charles’ most recognizable songs like “Georgia on My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack” as well as some of the singer’s popular renditions of Beatles tunes like “The Long and Winding Road.” The performance will also feature some Greg Abate originals drawing from his deep BeBop roots. Abate will be joined by Tim Ray (piano), Marty Ballou (bass), and Gary Johnson (drums). The concert takes place at 8 pm in Fraser Performance Studio with a pre-concert reception at 7:15pm. Paris Alston, of GBH News Rooted, will host the performance, which will be filmed for broadcast on GBH2. This event is made possible by the Goldstein Family Fund.
7:15-7:50pm Pre-event reception
7:50pm Guest are seated in Fraser Performance Studio (general admission)
8:00-9:00pm Live performance in Fraser Performance Studio
This event is presented with support from our sponsor, Newport Mansions.
This event is presented with support from our sponsor, M. Steinert & Sons.
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In Person
American Mosaics: Neave Trio
7:15-7:50pm Pre-event reception
7:50-7:58pm Guest are seated in Fraser Performance Studio
8:00-9:00pm Live performance in Fraser Performance Studio
The two-time Grammy-nominated Neave Trio closes out GBH Music’s 2025-2026 season with "American Mosaics," a program celebrating the diverse voices that have shaped, and been shaped by, American musical traditions. As a musical cornerstone of America 250, the concert contributes to GBH’s organization-wide examination of national identity leading up to and beyond the semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026. The performance explores the uniquely American sound of composer Aaron Copland and his influential teacher, Rubin Goldmark, and introduces the Boston premiere of "A Vast Palette," a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Jennifer Higdon. The concert opens with works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a Black British composer who drew deep inspiration from African American spirituals, and closes with pieces by Astor Piazzolla, whose nuevo tango style was informed by his upbringing in New York City during the height of the Jazz Age. “American Mosaics" is hosted by Brian McCreath, host of CRB's Boston Symphony broadcasts. The performance will be recorded for future broadcast on GBH 2 and as part of In Concert on CRB Classical 99.5. The program is funded by the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.
Concerts to Watch
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