Jeremy Pelt - Close to My Heart - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

25-year-old trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has garnered notice for his superb charts and professionalism since landing in New York four years ago. InchInsight,Inch his Criss Cross debut, demonstrates that he's also a composer with a point of view. Helping him articulate it are a take-no-prisoners ensemble of New York's finest callers, all 30-and-under, with the exception of veteran drum avatar Ralph Peterson. Features tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, alto saxophonist Myron Walden, pianist Rick German son and bassist Vincente Archer.

MaxJazz is pleased to present trumpeter Jeremy Pelt in NOVEMBER, his fourth recording for the tag as part of it's horn series. Pelt wrote and arranged all of the compositions on this acoustic, straight-ahead . NOVEMBER features Pelt's working quintet including tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Gerald Cleaver (special guest percussionist Jeff Haynes). Pelt was named Rising Star on Trumpet for the 5th year in a row by DownBeat. This recording follows his critically acclaimed 2007 SHOCK VALUE - LIVE AT SMOKE, which featured all original compositions by the versatile trumpeter with his electric band WiRED.

Jazz trumpeter, composer and author Jeremy Pelt has certainly never shied away from themed albums so one might expect something cinematic from the enigmatically-titled Soundtrack. However, as Pelt himself explains, InchI've certainly done plenty of concept albums, but in this case there's nothing I'm on a soapbox about. It's been a tough time for all of us, so let's not worry about sending messages for a minute. Here we are, playing some songs and having some fun.Inch Having fun the band may be but along the way they make some compelling jazz weaving a beguiling tapestry of kaleidoscopic colors with Pelt's sultry and communicative trumpet to the fore surrounded by Chien Chien Lu's hypnotic vibraphone and pianist Victor Gould's subtle splashes of the Fender Rhodes. The inclusion of Brittany Anjou on Moog synthesizer and the rarely-heard Mellotron may imply a real electronica aspect present on the recording but, quite to the contrary, Pelt uses them sparingly and incorporates them brilliantly into the group's tonal palette. Their appearance does occasionally bring a certain 70s independent jazz vibe to the proceedings but they far from define the sound of the group. Anne Drummond's silvery flute on two tracks adds yet another dimension to the already wide spectrum of colors on this latest album in the discography of the sometimes surprising but always inspired Jeremy Pelt.