Jazz Dispatch Series / Simons Summer Concert Series: Tom Manuel, Champian Fulton, Dean Johnson and Dan Pugach

A 5 p.m. performance on a Tuesday in a math and physics building on a college campus isn't exactly your garden variety jazz hit. But then again, what is?! In programming for The Jazz Loft's Dispatch Series stop at Stony Brook's Simons Center for Geometry and Physics—part of that institution's summer concert slate within its broader Arts and Outreach Program—trumpeter Tom Manuel put together a crack quartet featuring pianist/vocalist Champian Fulton, bassist Dean Johnson and drummer Dan Pugach. Presenting a 60-minute set at the appointed hour on August 5, 2025, those four delivered a healthy helping of classy and accessible fare to an appreciative audience.

The program referenced everyone from saxophonist Sonny Stitt to pianist-turned-crooner Nat King Cole to songwriting great Cole Porter. Talk between tunes included welcome historical accounts and sharp bantering. And the band proved consistently engaging in blues territory, balladry and beyond. Both mood and dynamics were largely light, with the quartet working from a centrist stance on performance practice, and the drive-time show proved to be the perfect antidote to anything that ailed the listener across the day. This writer was glad to have his camera on hand to document the event, so just scroll down for a sampling of what was captured.