The spirit of improvisation and collaboration filled the Avram Theater as The Jazz Loft @ Southampton Concert Series rolled on May 29 at Stony Brook Southampton, featuring the Dan Pugach Big Band and guest vocalist Allison Rumley.
The second concert in the series — “The Art of New” — showcased selections from drummer-composer Dan Pugach’s Grammy Award-winning album Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence, as well as other, unique compositions, with Rumley out front on vocals.
“We’re we’re here to play some original music by a living composer, if you can call me living, and some arrangements of different, Great American Songbook [selections] and some pop and folk songs,” said Pugach. “It’s kind of an eclectic ensemble.”
Pugach won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and has won multiple awards, including the ASCAP Foundation Jazz Composer Award, the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program at the Kennedy Center.
Rumley is a singer-songwriter who is deeply rooted in gospel and soul music, and has big band experience of her own. She co-leads the Big Beat Big Band, a 19-piece jazz orchestra that features her smoky vocals and compositions.
“It’s always really just a real treat to find places that are welcoming to big bands and want to continue that tradition,” Rumley said of performing at Stony Brook Southampton and the Avram Theater. “And, just the opportunity to perform with this Grammy-winning band, the incredible arrangements, incredible music. Very excited about that.”
Stony Brook University Jazz Department Endowed Artist in Residence Fellow Tom Manuel said the concert series brings the performances regularly seen at The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook to the Hamptons. “There’s plenty of great cultural opportunities out here, but as we know, an hour drive can sometimes keep somebody home,” he said. “And so even though we present 200 performances at The Jazz Loft and have wonderful programing at the Staller Center, it’s really wonderful for us to be able to take what we’re doing in Stony Brook and bring it a little bit closer for folks on the East End.”
The series continues on Thursday, June 19, with a Juneteenth performance, “Long Island Jazz Legends & Local Juke Joints,” featuring Project 464, a group of jazz greats with a combined age of 464 years.
“We are so blessed to have this collaboration with with The Jazz Loft because they have all of these wonderful connections,” said Wendy Pearson, vice president for strategic initiatives and executive director of Stony Brook Southampton. “We hope people will come out and see what we’re doing here.”
Tickets to The Jazz Loft @ Southampton Concert Series are available online.
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