One of the things that I learned being on the bandstand with a lot of these people – these elders, these great musicians – is that you have to pay it forward. They got it from someplace, and they’re giving it to me, and it’s up to me to give to the next generation. – Jeremy Pelt
The Art Of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse
Playing jazz is a lot like love itself. It is as much about poignancy as it is about joy. Whether we listen to a torch song or read a love poem by Shelley, we experience their creator's pain or we share in their euphoria. And it is Jeremy Pelt's understanding of this dichotomy of passion and restraint that makes this album so compelling. The set list is as all-encompassing as a love affair – from the straight-ahead feeling of “I Can't Escape from You” to the breathless stillness of his muted trumpet on “There'll Be Other Times.” His sly, half-valve effects on “Blues in Sophistication” show an impish delight while Henry Mancini's “Slow Hot Wind” throbs with an ever so discreet Latin feel. This may be considered a “with strings” record but Pelt does not let this descend into a vibrato-laden string sound.
With his new album, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has released one of the most gorgeous trumpet recordings in recent memory. Pelt shares an intimacy artfully expressed with bassist Buster Williams, pianist Victor Gould, drummer Billy Hart and guitarist Chico Pinheiro, sometimes enveloped by a dreamy string quartet.
