"The Big Wolf Band was formed on a dare," Prof. Robert Nieske (MUS) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, referring to his Big Wolf Band's debut performance Friday night in Slosberg Recital Hall. "It was a 'What have you got to lose?' proposition and the only thing I could lose was money."The evening featured a solid jazz performance showcasing Nieske's original compositions and a few standards, and while the show occasionally failed to excite its audience, it certainly displayed each of the 10 professional Boston-area musicians' skills.

The first set started out with "There's a Bus That's Leaving Soon for Alban Berg's House," one of Nieske's originals, which featured a full and versatile sound that changed smoothly from staccato lines to a swinging chorus. The piece featured solos by trumpeter Ken Cervenca, trombonist Phil Swanson, alto saxophonist Allan Chase and tenor saxophonist Tony Carelli, and eventually slowed to an appropriately disharmonious yet leisurely ending.

"No two players sound alike," Nieske later remarked. "They are all individuals, which of course, is what jazz is all about."

Next was "Beauty," a portion of a larger composition which hopes to explore Nieske's inner emotions. Originally written as a trio suite, it featured long tones and a deep bass line. The tune had a uniquely laid-back feel in which the stretched-out notes blended well with the overall atmosphere. Grenadier's chromatic trumpet solo repeated the song's themes, and was accompanied well by a melodic baritone sax solo from Tom Hall. Both finally yielded to some fast, stringing sax lines and a playful trombone solo from Jeff Galindo. The piece ended with a soothing trumpet melody.

After a short session of spirited howling, the band moved on to "Fast Track," which featured Bob Tamagni on drums. His busy drum work fused with a fast, walking bass line and the band members' near-simultaneous hits. This quick exchange of solos gave "Fast Track" an upbeat pace that the band maintained until the end.

A solemn, slow trombone melody kicked off "Grey," which, as the title suggests, was a slow-moving, somber piece. Its absence of drums allowed for a free-floating space to guide the tune in which a minimal background played behind a smooth guitar solo by Jon Damian, who sang along with the notes of his solo. The band played in sync with Nieske's bass line and the trombone returned with its somber line to end the tune.

"George Russell," a tune named after the influential jazz composer and theorist who inspired Nieske, started out with a furious, jazzy rhythm over which Carelli's wavy tenor saxophone soloed.

After an intermission, the Big Wolf Band returned with "Major Blues," which started off with a guitar solo and a trombone background that was not entirely sharp. The distanced murmuring behind the trumpet solo and the Broadway showtune-like rhythm at the end were both nice touches.

"Heart" began with a bass solo and a velvety melodic lead by the tenor saxophone. More than any other work, this song had a strong big-band feel to it.

The characteristic sound of "Flatline" was continuously playing the same note as other instruments enter and slowly harmonize with each other, together with an offbeat rhythm. The musicians playfully followed each others' themes in ending the piece.

In the next tune, "For Jimmy... If," the trombones' chromatic scales created an atmosphere of a calm trip on a Ferris wheel. Though the trumpet led off the melody, it was passed around between the musicians, evolving into a slowly swinging, big sound and ended with the musicians ending each other's musical sentences.

The rock drum opening of "Groove Line" and the driving staccato theme made this tune a highlight, and nicely complimented the frequent rhythm changes, the almost comic trombone interjections and the two trumpeters soloing simultaneously. As a suitable ending, the jazzy, happy sounds of "Joy," and its laid-back feel, concluded the solid performance on a positive note.