Jeremy Pelt, The Art of Intimacy Vol. 2 His Muse, High Note ****

You know what to expect you might think with Jeremy Pelt. Certainly state of the art 21st century hard bop from the trumpeter as guaranteed. And yet you never step in the same river twice, the philosopher said, when still more considerations are …

Published: 13 Mar 2023. Updated: 17 days.

You know what to expect you might think with Jeremy Pelt.

Certainly state of the art 21st century hard bop from the trumpeter as guaranteed.

And yet you never step in the same river twice, the philosopher said, when still more considerations are thought about.

So what lifts or doesn't beyond above expectations of supreme excellence and idiomatic exactitude in the Hubbardian mould here? Vol. 1 in this series came out in 2020 and had pianist icon George Cables and bassist's bassist Peter Washington on it.

This time it is far more expansive. Trumpet avatar Pelt (born 1976 in Los Angeles), pianist Victor Gould smouldering in a contrastive context on Lakecia Benjamin 2023 release tour de force Phoenix particularly 'New Mornings,' the Mwandishi great bassist Buster Williams and also from the Mwandishi era - one of Herbie Hancock's greatest ever bands - drummer Billy Hart. Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro is on 'Two For The Road.'

More lush this time strings are an element arranged and conducted by expat Irishman in New York David O'Rourke.

There is no sense of drift. But when the arrangements are at their lushest they don't work as well as when the beat gets a chance to emerge more. And that is when Williams shows his tonal class by mining the deepest vibrations to cut through to all listeners out there and our collective soul on vastly swung romper 'Blues in Sophistication' and then all is well in the world.

An album that includes notably a version of Henry Mancini's 'A Slow Hot Wind' that proves superb and where the arrangement works better. As 'Lujon' the composition was introduced on Mr Lucky Goes Latin [RCA Victor, 1961] when without words. Otherwise when with the Norman Gimbel words sung rendered 'A Slow Hot Wind' (often thought of in titular terms as one and the same thing avec ou sans paroles regardless). Choice, classic, versions include the great singer Johnny Hartman who magically interpreted the song on The Voice That Is.

MORE READING:

Jeremy Pelt, photo: High Note publicity shot

Tags: reviews

Gretchen Parlato, Lionel Loueke, Lean In, Edition ****

Highly influential and innovative US singer Gretchen Parlato is here with long time collaborator the Herbie Hancock guitarist and singer US based Benin jazz great Lionel Loueke. Very much a close knit affair, Gretchen's husband drummer Mark …

Published: 12 Mar 2023. Updated: 18 days.

Next post

Highly influential and innovative US singer Gretchen Parlato is here with long time collaborator the Herbie Hancock guitarist and singer US based Benin jazz great Lionel Loueke.

Very much a close knit affair, Gretchen's husband drummer Mark Guiliana of Mehliana fame, Guiliana and Loueke family members and close friend bassist Burniss Travis (known for his work with Common and James Francies) figure among the personnel on Lean In which was recorded in Los Angeles over three days of March last year. It is full of Brazilian music, West African sounds and more and represents the state of the art in terms of jazz vocals and also joins the dots passing the baton from singer to instrumentalism and back again in a parity of esteem and represents another peak in both Parlato and Loueke's remarkable careers.

Songs here include Loueke tune 'Akwê' and a very fine version of Lynn Malsby's 1980s song 'I Miss You'. Parlato's sound is metrically astounding and highly expert in harnessing the power of difficult syncopated runs that still retain their communicative rather than impressive-for-the-sake-of-it appeal to gain traction and a sense of rewarding release.

Among the tracks are the Carlos Pingarilho, Marcos Vasconcellos song 'Astronauta' also known as 'Samba da Pergunta' that goes back to the 1960s covered on the 1970 album João Gilberto en México.

Also here are the Loueke piece 'Painful Joy' and a Loueke arrangement of the Dave Grohl song 'Walking After You' heard on the Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape (1997) a song that the Foo Fighters later re-recorded for the soundtrack of The X-Files. 'Lean In' feat. Mark Guiliana and 'I Miss You' are streaming. Lean In is released on 19 May.

MORE READING AND LISTENING:

Lionel Loueke and Gretchen Parlato. Photo: Lauren Desberg