Black Art Jazz Collective - Truth to Power - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Not only did a friendship begin, but also a professional relationship. What struck each of them most was the flowing quality of their sound patterns, their ability to arrange them in such a way as to obtain not just sound in itself, but a kind of identification between the sound and the player. Quite naturally there came the decision to create a trio in which their musical skills could blend together to form a unique, personal sound. Eventually a CD was recorded including original songs written by Andrea Pimazzoni. The CD is the expression of the utmost care in production and arrangement, of the real quality of the musicians and the fresh emotions that even expert listeners are likely to get out of it. No doubt a CD that can arouse the interest and admiration of young audiences towards jazz, a style of music that may sometimes seem to belong to an elite circle, while at the same time amaze connoisseurs.

The Black Art Jazz Collective was founded in 2012 by Wayne Escoffery and Jeremy Pelt with the aim of honoring and preserving the art of some of the progenitors of jazz who inspired them, hired them and mentored them first hand. And while the band does pay homage to the greats of the past they also continue the evolving tradition of jazz with a body of work that remains firmly entrenched in the modernism of today. From the angular melody of Escoffery's InchInvoluntary Servitude,Inch to the ingratiating groove of Pelt's InchFor the Kids,Inch the ensemble extends the range and potential established by their illustrious predecessors with innovative original compositions, solos that run the gamut from thoughtful to virtuosic and a shared sense of purpose that is unique on today's jazz landscape.

2018 . The Black Art Jazz Collective's mission statement celebrates African-American cultural and political icons. At the core is a modernism that conjures up the classic bands of Art Blakey and acoustic Miles Davis. But with the contemporary soul-fueled solos and locked-in rhythm the band is more likely to launch into a counterpoint riff or the spacious funk of hip-hop than the svelte lines of a classic walking bass. The Black Art Jazz Collective delivers strong original tunes and purposeful, form-hugging improvisation that keeps things looking forward rather than back. And with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on ebullient form, and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery's muscularity contrasting with the tenderness of James Burton III's trombone, the focus never becomes diffuse or wavers.