Dan Pugach Big Band: Bianca

Dan Pugach is an Israeli-born, New York-based drummer who doubles (quite well) as composer and arranger on Bianca, his second recording for Outside In Music. Pugach anchors a splendid big band comprised of some of the New York area's finest musicians on an album whose subtitle is "Music for Paws and Persistence."

The "paws" were those of the Pugach family's rescue pit-bull, Bianca, who passed away in 2019 and left a gaping hole in their lives, as he was, Pugach writes, "a gentle soul" who was "a big part of our musical journey," hanging with the band at the Stowe (VT) Jazz Festival and its regular gigs at New York's greatly missed 55 Bar, and taking part in many music videos. "Bianca," which premiered at a BMI Jazz Composers showcase concert, earned the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize—and served as the inspiration for this album.

Pugach writes with melody in mind, and each of his half-dozen compositions carries the listener gently along on an impressive pathway of pleasant sound. The iridescent opener, "Tolerance," written during the height of the Covid pandemic, offers hints of Pugach's Israeli heritage as it underlines earnest solos by trombonist Mike Fahie and alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius. The warm-hearted "Bianca" is next, followed by the lryical "Bella the Bear," written as an homage to the Pugach's most recent rescue dog, a "temporary" redemption that had lasted four years when the album was recorded. Solos on "Bianca" are by tenor Eitan Gofman and trumpeter Stuart Mack, on "Bella" by trombonist Jasim Perales.

Pugach composed "Masa" ("Journey" in Hebrew) to commemorate his coming to the U.S. and becoming an American citizen, "Schleppin'" as a reminder of his first job in the Big Apple, as a "schlepper" (carrier) for a moving company. Pugach, trumpeter Dave Adewumi and tenor Jeremy Powell solo on the chorale-like "Masa," bassist Sam Weber, pianist Nitzan Gavrieli and trombonist Alan Ferber on the amiable "Schleppin.'" Nicole Zuraitis wrote "Travel," on which she sings and scats, as she does on Van Halen's rambling "Dreams" (Pete McCann, guitar). Pugach returns as composer for the animated finale, "Discourse This!," written during his time as a graduate student at City College of New York. Solos are by Pugach, alto Andrew Gould and trumpeter Dave Smith.

Aside from the vocals—which are surely well-intended but a step or two short of enticing—this is an exemplary big-band session marked by strong ensemble work, admirable solos and engaging compositions and arrangements by the leader, Dan Pugach. Four stars for that.