Dan Gabel and The Abletones

Dan Gabel

Hailed by the Boston Globe as “the real deal, [a bandleader] that looks and sounds like the 1940s.” Dan Gabel is a trombonist, arranger, bandleader, historian, and educator. He formed his first band in the eighth grade while at Holy Name High School. Fifteen years later, the 18-piece big band Dan Gabel and the Abletones, tours regularly throughout New England. Gabel leads three of his own musical groups, including the High Society Orchestra, an authentic 11-piece 1920s band, and has recorded and produced four full-length albums. Gabel has toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra for over a year, as well as with the Tommy Dorsey, Cab Calloway, and Hal McIntyre Orchestras. He recently has been featured at the 2016 Montreal Jazz Festival, the Newport Mansions “Art Deco Festival,” and in several musicals. Considered an expert on jazz, big bands, and the Great American Songbook, Gabel has lectured at colleges, universities, and special events across the country including Harvard, MIT, Clark, and Indiana University. Since 2012 he has served as the President and CEO of the American Big Band Preservation Society. Dan Gabel holds two bachelor’s degrees from UMass Amherst in Political Science and in Jazz History through BDIC (Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration) Commonwealth Honors College. He received a Masters Degree from New England Conservatory in trombone performance. As an educator, Gabel returned to his alma mater in 2014, and serves as the Music Department Director at Holy Name High School. He also directs the jazz program at Worcester Youth Orchestras, Inc. Dan Gabel is currently working on a biography on bandleader Vaughn Monroe, and through special association with the Monroe family, will present a touring act: The Vaughn Monroe Show starting the the fall of 2017. He and looks forward to a career of preserving, promoting, and performing music for audiences everywhere.