Dan Gabel and The Abletones ready to 'Dance Through the Holidays'
Big band leader and trombonist Dan Gabel is so happy to be performing live with his own 18-piece band again that he could "Dance Through the Holidays."
Actually, that's the name of the latest album by Dan Gabel and the Abletones, which will officially be released on Dec. 2 when the band puts on a holiday dance in the Dome Room at the Scandinavian Athletic Club Park, 438 Lake St., Shrewsbury.
Gabel is going to be busy with a lot of area appearances during the holiday season, but the Dec. 2 show "will be the only public dance event and I know folks have been itching to come back out and dance to the full live band," he said.
"Happy Holidays with Dan Gabel and the Abletones" will feature the 18-piece band, the Moon Maids vocal group (the vocalists alternate; more about the name later), an opening act Don't Tell Dan (a seven-piece band originally formed by Gabel's students with the Worcester Youth Jazz Program at Worcester Youth Orchestras), the holiday album release, hors d'oeuvres, full cash bar, table seating available, and a large wooden dance floor. Tickets are $25 SAC members; $30 adults; $10 students.
"Dance Through the Holidays" has band arrangements of great tunes for all the holidays from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve including "I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For" (lyrics by Irving Berlin), "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine), "March of the Toys" "God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen" (traditional), "Let's Start the New Year Right" (Irving Berlin) and "Count Your Blessings" (Irving Berlin).
"It feels really appropriate post pandemic," Gabel said of the "Count Your Blessings" sentiment.
Also, "I'm really happy with how we played it."
Gabel is bandleader, arranger, trombonist, educator and historian who grew up in Webster. He is founder and leader of Dan Gabel and the Abletones, which plays big band/swing classics mostly from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
He also plays trombone for the Glen Miller Orchestra, traveling the country when not back home in the Worcester area.
Gabel has performed with other bands such as the Cab Colloway, Tommy Dorsey and Hal McIntyre orchestras.
Gabel serves as the president and chief executive officer of the American Big Band Preservation Society - a non-profit organization based in Boston and dedicated to preserving, promoting, and performing while keeping music in schools- and also leads the Worcester Youth Jazz Program at Worcester Youth Orchestras. Gabel holds two bachelors degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a masters degree from New England Conservatory.
Dan Gabel and the Abletones have developed a great following, but the pandemic shut down live performance for a while, although Gabel did several live streams in 2020 and filmed a holiday show envisioned as a TV special "live" from The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.
But out on the road and performing live, in-person shows with the Glen Miller Orchestra this spring and summer Gabel said he was struck by the thought that "we can't ever take this for granted again."
The pandemic "was really tough. We (Dan Gabel and the Abletones) did some live streams which came out really well. That was nice, but it really was awfully difficult. I don't think I realized how much I missed it until this spring getting out there again and connecting with audiences through music," he said.
With the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gabel performed in 20 states and four Canadian provinces. "It was just great," Gabel said.
Audiences have been responding to hearing the music again. "Yes, thank goodness. Audiences have been great. I would say more enthusiastic, appreciative and engaged than ever before. I just hope that continues," Gabel said. "Live music, live entertainment is special. When it's taken away I hope people realize how important it is. You've got to experience it live. Shut off the TV," Gabel said.
People like to dance to the swing music. "They're not just sitting there and applauding, they want to dance."
One Dec. 2, "We'll be celebrating that, too," Gabel said of the SAC Park holiday dance.
Dan Gabel and the Abletones have kept performing including a summer concert at the Asa Waters Mansion in Millbury as well as recording.
The band is going to be especially busy in December with a number of other shows coming up locally with the Moon Maids vocal group. They will perform (although the appearances won't include dancing) at 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in First Congregational Church of Princeton; 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Grace E. Kelly Library, Webster; and 3 p.m. Dec. 11 at St. Mary of the Hills Church, Boylston.
All performances are free and followed by a reception. The band also has some engagements in December, and a trip to Rochester, N.Y. for a show (again with the Moon Maids) at 4 p.m. Dec. 18 at Theatre at Innovation Square.
The day before Gabel will lead the Jazz Ensemble of the Worcester Youth Orchestras at the annual WYO family holiday concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 17 in Mechanics Hall.
The young musicians in the jazz ensemble are also appreciative of playing in-person concerts live again. "The kids feel it too. We continued through the whole pandemic. It was a great statement from the organization. The kids show up, they're ready to play. We've got a nice ensemble of 16 kids. We just had a concert. They sounded great," Gabel said.
The pandemic did afford Gable time to work on a biography of Vaughn Monroe (1911-73), the bandleader, trumpeter and baritone singer (“Red Roses For A Blue Lady,” “There, I’ve Said It Again," “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow"). Gabel has previously developed "The Vaughn Monroe Show," complete with Monroe's Moon Maids singers, who originally were female college students from Texas. Monroe's family have given their blessing to Gabel's efforts.
He had archived Monroe's music while a graduate student at the New England Conservatory of Music (Monroe had donated his manuscripts to the conservatory) and made his master’s thesis a performance of Monroe’s music.
A number of "Vaughan Monroe Show" performances had been booked in 2020 which all got cancelled.
Gabel's version of the show was popular. "The audiences went crazy," he said. "With Vaughan Monroe, whether you remember him or not, people connect with the show. There were kids, students. They had a great time."
Gabel hopes to get the show touring again and to finish the book this spring. "I'll probably spend some time with his daughter in Florida doing more interviews. She's so welcoming and likes talking about the music."
Meanwhile, "Dance Through the Holidays" isn't the only album Dan Gabel and the Abletones recorded recently.
The band accompanied Glenn Miller Orchestra vocalist Jenny Swoish on her album "Tonight ... In Dreamland" which includes the wonderful 1909 song "Meet me Tonight in Dreamland" made popular by the Mills Brothers, Vaughan Monroe and others. The album will be released in early spring, Gabel said.
Dan Gabel and the Abletones with the Moon Maids also have an album "Let's Get Away From it All" scheduled to be released in late spring.
Gabel said he wants to set up a spring tour with the band and vocalists in support of the album.
'Dance Through the Holidays" will be available for purchase via Gabel's website www.gabelmusic.com, online outlets such as YouTube and Spotify, as well as at Happy Holidays with Dan Gabel and the Abletones" at SAC Park Dec. 2.
At SAC Park the Dome Room can accommodate about 225-250 people. "It's the only dance in the whole month," Gabel said. The Dome Room and has recently been renovated/remodeled, he said.
"I think we're the first event (since renovations), which is nice."
He has plenty to sing and dance about with shows getting back on the road and three albums coming out.
"I'm very grateful for everything," Gabel said.
"Happy Holidays with Dan Gabel and The Abletones" — Big Band Holiday Dance
When: Friday, Dec. 2. Doors open 6:30 p.m.; live music 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Dome Room, SAC Park, 438 Lake St., Shrewsbury
How much: $25 SAC members; $30 adults; $10 students. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/happy-holidays-with-dan-gabel-and-the-abletones-tickets-446205010197. Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/457764149675836. More info: https://gabelmusic.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Dan Gabel and The Abletones ready to 'Dance Through the Holidays'
