In Episode Five, Dave Reis speaks with internationally renowned, award-winning jazz musician Greg Abate, a saxophonist, flutist, and composer. He's traveled the globe on his musical tours.

After finishing his education at Berklee College Of Music in the mid-70s, Greg Abate went on to play lead alto saxophone for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.

Abate formed his group Channel One in 1978. It became a New England favorite and offered him an opportunity to play tenor sax from 1986-87 with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under the leadership of Dick Johnson. He was recently ranked number three in the Downbeat reader's poll for alto sax.

The Artist Index's jazz documentarian and Jazz Podcast Series host, Dave Reis, spent nearly 26 years as a Jazz radio show host, among his many other accomplishments. He was one of the original longtime DJs who worked at the former WUSM which became radio station WUMD, 89.3 FM, on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus.

Dave Reis, AKA David Domingo Reis, began as our guest on In-Focus Podcast 154. and In-Focus Podcast 181. He returns once again as the host of our first-ever ten-part jazz podcast series underwritten by the Fiber Optic Center.

There is no better host for this series than Dave Reis, a walking, talking jazz encyclopedia and local legend himself. Dave grew up surrounded by and hanging around with many of the jazz greats he will be presenting his ten-part Jazz Podcast Series underwritten by the Fiber Optic Center.

In Episode Two, Gallery X Documentation Project podcast host Sean FitzGerald speaks with Zachary White, the executive director of Gallery X. Zachary majored in photography and minored in printmaking while attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Sean and Zachary discuss the first phase of The Gallery X Documentation Project, with an agenda to scan Gallery X‘s entire collection of documents spanning 34 years. The documents include news clippings, posters, flyers, photographs, and more. Once scanned, these records will be archived and mined for information specific to the artists who have exhibited their work or performed at New Bedford’s oldest continually operating cooperative art gallery.

The gallery was founded in 1990 and is a contemporary, cooperative art gallery of visual, performing, and literary artist members and volunteers. Gallery X has served as an incubator for emerging artists and is a venue for established artists. It is a platform for local artists, performers, and creatives of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds to showcase their talents as an integral part of the South Coast‘s community.

This eight-episode podcast series supports and documents the overall project and provides historical and background information about the gallery and the progress made to date. The Gallery X Documentation Project will reach out to listeners and anyone seeking information about historical or contemporary artists from the South Coast's creative community.

The Artists Index offers listeners up close and personal conversations with the artists, supporters, and cultural impresarios of South Coast's creative community. Listen to the artists talk about their work, backgrounds, passions, dreams, and accomplishments. Also featured are those who work in or manage the creative community’s economy, promotion, and cultural agenda.

Please consider donating to, sponsoring, or underwriting our podcasts and programs. This and other podcasts are available on The Artists Index and your favorite media app including Amazon Music / iHeart Radio / Libsyn / Podcast Page / Spotify / WebPlayer / APPLE PODCASTS

Welcome Peggy Call-Conley, a local artist who earned her BFA in Art Education from Southeastern Massachusetts University, today the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, in 1972. Her early exposure to the arts in Boston and her solace in nature in rural Middleborough (AKA Middleboro) Massachusetts, deeply influenced her artistic journey.

Peggy has spent 35 years teaching art in private and public schools while residing in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Her watercolor paintings are inspired by the natural beauty and coastal landscapes she encounters.

She aims to capture the energy and tranquility of these scenes, focusing on subtle color changes, contrasting light, and the unique shapes of shadows. Her work is characterized by its ability to evoke, as she relates, "a strong sense of place and momentary harmony with nature."

Peggy's artistic process involves painting on location, allowing her to authentically convey the essence of her subjects, whether it’s the serene coastal views or intricate architectural details.

On this podcast, Peggy Call-Conley speaks with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, about her continuing journey and mission to share her art and her love of teaching. This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.

If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know! The Artists Index also uses Zoom to accommodate our guests’ schedules and to allow them to remain in the comfort of their homes, especially those who no longer live on the South Coast of Massachusetts.

Offering listeners up close and personal conversations with the artists, supporters, and cultural impresarios of our creative community.

Listen to the artists talk about their work, backgrounds, passions, dreams, and accomplishments. Also featured are those who work in or manage the creative community’s economy, promotion, and cultural agenda.

We would love it if you considered donating.