Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt
occupies an enviably open-minded space in the modern jazz landscape. A capable
traditionalist, Pelt has built his career around making acoustic post-bop, with
increasing forays into electrified, electronic-tinged fusion. His mutable choices
keep you in suspense as a listener -- you’re never sure what to expect from one
album to the next. While there are no such electronic flourishes on Pelt's 2017
effort, the warmly sophisticated Make Noise! It still pops with much of the
same cross-genre creativity he's explored in the past. The album follows his
similarly inclined 2016 effort #Jiveculture, which also featured an inventive
acoustic sound accented by legendary bassist Ron Carter. This time out, Pelt
brings along a slightly less-high-profile, if no less talented, ensemble
including pianist Victor Gould, bassist Vicente Archer, drummer Jonathan
Barber, and percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo. Together, they take an intimate
approach to expansive post-bop that straddles the line between Miles Davis'
'60s albums and Terence Blanchard's early-'80s work. Pelt has a broad,
enveloping trumpet tone and a knack for laying down highly engaging solos that
never hold a listener at arm's length. It's a skill he puts to good use
throughout Make Noise! and one complemented by his bandmates, especially
pianist Gould, who layers these tracks with a sparkling delicacy reminiscent of
the late Mulgrew Miller. Similarly, with Acevedo's kinetic percussion filtered
throughout, Make Noise! also has a strong Afro-Latin influence, a vibe
especially apparent on the roiling title track and frenetic, salsa-infused
"Bodega Social." Equally compelling, "Chateau d'Eau" has a
languid, R&B-inflected melody set to a midtempo Afro-Latin groove.
Elsewhere, Pelt pushes toward harmonically nuanced modalism, offering a
fittingly elegiac and noir-ish tribute to the departed pop icon on
"Prince," and evincing the angular, classically influenced style of
Black Codes-era Wynton Marsalis on "Cry Freedom." While much of
Pelt's work fits nicely into the jazz canon, he clearly has an open ear for
melody, a gift he exercises on "Your First Touch...", which sounds
like a Leonard Cohen song reworked as a sensuous jazz ballad. Ultimately, Make
Noise! continues to reveal Pelt's maturation into a confident artist,
comfortable enough with his place in the jazz tradition to keep subtly pushing
the edges of audience expectation. ~ Matt Collar, AMG. 4.5/5
Stars
This CD is dedicated to Amma
Sakyibea Pelt
HighNote Records, HCD 7299,
2017
Recorded 9th September, 2016
At Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Musicians:
Jeremy Pelt - Trumpet
Victor Gould - Piano
Vicente Archer - Bass
Jonathan Barber - Drums
Jacquelene Acevedo -
Percussion
Tracks:
01. Prologue: Introduction to
"Make Noise!" {Jacquelene Acevedo} (0:51)
02. Make Noise! {Jeremy Pelt}
(5:23)
03. Prince {Jeremy Pelt}
(8:14)
04. Cry Freedom {Jeremy Pelt}
(5:24)
05. Digression {Simona
Premazzi} (8:35)
06. Introduction to
"Evolution" {Jonathan Barber} (2:05)
07. Evolution {Jeremy Pelt}
(5:43)
08. Chateau D'Eau {Jeremy
Pelt} (5:55)
09. Your First Touch... {Jeremy
Pelt} (5:24)
10. Bodega Social {Jeremy
Pelt} (5:07)
Credits:
Producer - Jeremy Pelt
Executive Producer - Joe
Fields
Recording Engineer - Joe
Marciano
Mixing and Mastering Engineer
- Katsuhiko Naito
Photography - Ra-Re Valverde
Design - Keiji Obata, Peter Muller, Littlefield
& Company
