Arriving in
the US from his native Israel in 2006 to study at Berklee College of Music
before earning his master's at The City College of New York, drummer/composer Dan
Pugach played cash-and-carry gigs, traditional ethnic dates, worked coffee
shops-anything to keep his drumming and music pure. Eventually teaching himself
arranging and orchestration, his complete reimagining of Horace Silver's
"Silver's Serenade" led instructor (and renowned
pianist/composer/educator) Mike Holober to exclaim, "Your arrangement
departed from the original song; it wasn't just an adaptation, but a
rearrangement. Dude, you're going to thrive as an arranger/composer."
Roughly ten
years later, Pugach's debut recording Plus One is the fruit of years of hard
work, practice, writing and rewriting, a joyous and thematically diverse
recording that expresses Pugach's vision of a "mini big band."
"What I
like the most about the sound and concept of Dan's Nonet is that the playing
and the writing is selfless," says five-time Grammy Award winning composer
and perennial Pat Metheny Group member, Antonio Sanchez. "It's all about
the music. The writing is on point, sharp, concise and so is everybody's
playing. Beautiful album."
Gathering
some of New York's finest musicians in his Nonet, Pugach's Plus One is an
exciting ride encompassing a New Orleans second-line strut, expansive
arrangements of familiar pop material, and dynamite original compositions
performed in classic small ensemble tradition.
"I'm
not trying to be too modernist; I want to have a few surprises," Pugach
says. "But they're hidden. Each tune has a specific vibe I'm staying loyal
to. I'm trying to keep everything focused."
Pugach's
compositions and arrangements mirror his personality as a drummer. Each note
flying off his drums, cymbals and percussion is concise, poised and delivered
with purpose. A YouTube search yields Pugach's
drumming blowing the lid off various NYC clubs with different ensembles,
his collective rhythms a streamlined approach animated (all too briefly) by
fiery solos. Similarly, Plus One is music of a stylized, singular principle
with moments of absolute burn.
"I
believe playing less is more until it comes to my solo-then I explode,"
Pugach explains. "And in my music, I don't want to hear overblown
drumming."
Pugach is
aided on Plus One by his plus-one in life, powerhouse singer Nicole Zuratis,
whose recent release, Hive Mind, shows her at full force.
"Nicole
is my secret weapon," Dan confides. "Our relationship onstage is part
of the conversation. She handles the mic duties; I might come up to speak and
she'll cut me off. The audience laughs. It's our natural banter."
Pugach goes
from strength to strength on Plus One, the album showcasing his beautifully
intricate compositions, peerless
arrangements and yes, his drumming, which is funky, on-point and surprisingly
restrained for a musician of such skills and gifts. Dan's arrangements for
Nonet recall the classic sounds of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Bob Mintzer, and
the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra-expressed in a far smaller ensemble. Deft
compositions, challenging arrangements, brilliant players and Dan's silken
rhythmic touch make Plus One a special outing.
The album
including moving vocal versions of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," Chick
Corea's "Crystal Silence," Quincy Jones' "Love Dance" and
Zuratis' male-ego-impaling rouser, "Our Blues," Plus One culminates
in the two centerpieces: "Coming Here" and "Discourse This." The former, a circuitous coming-of-age
journey with great solos all around, including a dexterous showing by Pugach;
the latter, a blustery, sparse Nonet dance that reveals the musicians'
glove-tight interplay and cohesion. Through it all, Pugach's sizzling drumming
drives his Nonet-hard.
The Nonet
plays as a single organism throughout Plus One, with plenty of soloing power.
The Dan Pugach Nonet, plus one, is comprised of Nicole Zuraitis, voice; Ingrid
Jensen, David Smith, trumpets; Mike Fahie, trombone; Jen Hinkle, bass trombone;
Andrew Gould, alto saxophone; Jeremy Powell, tenor saxophone, Andrew Gutauskas,
baritone saxophone; Carmen Staaf, Jorn Swart, piano; Tamir Shmerling, bass;
Bernardo Aguiar, pandeiro; and Pugach, drums.
From his
experiences growing up near Tel Aviv to the influences of the Thad Jones/Mel
Lewis Big Band and Bob Mintzer Big Band, Pugach's compositions and arranging on
Plus One are a thrill, including the opening, second-line bruiser,
"Brooklyn Blues," to the closing, full-throated, "Discourse
This." An album of such high-level ensemble playing and standout vocal
tracks is exceedingly rare. Plus One is pure and powerful-simply exceptional
music.
"People
love the warmth and interaction between myself and Nicole and the Nonet,"
Dan says. "It's natural. The audience feels the connection. And connection
is what it's all about."
Dan Pugach
is a Brooklyn-based, two-time ASCAP Jazz Composer Award-winning
drummer/arranger. Dan has worked with Ingrid Jensen, Rosa Passos, Airto Moreira,
Gregoire Maret, Billy Drews, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Bergeron, Sloan and Lucy
Wainwright, and Dave Stryker, among others.
Originally from Israel, Dan served his mandatory three-year military
duty as the drummer of the Air-Force Orchestra. He received his bachelor's
degree from Berklee College of Music and his master's from the City College of
New York, where he studied with Hal Crook, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, John
Patitucci, Terri-Lyne Carrington and Ari Hoenig.
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