Dan Gabel and The Abletones • Dance Through The Holidays

Dan Gabel, the remarkable young man on the cover of our March 2021 issue, started a band while still a Dorsey obsessed 13 year old and joined the Glenn Miller band on an international tour at 19. In 2010 he started the Abeltones, an 18-piece big band that is no stranger to Christmas music or big productions. In 2020 they released a Christmas album with 28 performers and 19 tracks. The same year they released a one hour Christmas special in the style of a TV variety show. That wasn’t even their first pass at filming a stage production. They also released the Vaughn Monroe Show, a 1949 style variety show featuring skits and all, available on DVD. I briefly talked to Mr. Gabel today, and without revealing any teasers, they are not slowing down. Last December they released a second Christmas album, Dance Through the Holidays, featuring Glenn Miller Orchestra singer Jenny Swoish. 16 Tracks include the full 18-piece group, a 16-piece group, and a focus on the trombone section, Gabel’s own instrument. The music is so authentic to the 1940s that I momentarily forgot I was supposed to be reviewing it as a contemporary album. While there are many female vocalists who can achieve a period sound, Gabel has a uniquely appropriate male vocal and could share a stage with any gentlemen of the era. His arrangements are also spot on. The only thing giving it away are the modern recording methods.