“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
Jazz Weekly recently asked trumpeter Jeremy Pelt what advice he’d give to young musicians. “Place your love of the music over your own ambition,” he said. Over the course of 20 prolific years and as many albums – plus another 100 or so releases as a featured sideman, Jeremy has lived by his words as one of the most inventive artists and loyal advocates working in jazz today. As bandleader, his albums swing from classic cool to electric fusion, syncopated to cinematic, and twin-drum bop to no-drum ballads – all deeply rooted in his love of jazz, his impeccable tone and songcraft, and his impressive solos. As author, he has published three volumes of “Griot,” in which he interviews the legends of jazz to archive their wisdom for future generations.
In celebration of Jeremy’s incredible range and curiosity, we’re featuring two of his CDs for Spring. “Soundtrack” unfolds like a spirited live show – fresh horn, keys and cool vibraphone; gritty grooves, moody soundscapes and splashes of flute, Moog and Mellotron. And his brand-new release, “The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse,” taps the full emotional swing of a love affair – joy to pain and back again. Standouts include “Blues in Sophistication” with its half-valve play, the Latin twist on Henry Mancini’s “Slow Hot Wind,” and the muted stillness of “There’ll Be Other Times.” Spinning both albums, you’ll hear the elegant, deep-hearted play of a true original.
And through a special partnership with The Jazz Foundation of America, we’re thrilled to also offer Jeremy’s aforementioned “Griot” books in the JFA section of our website. The 3-volume set features 45 candid interviews with musicians such as Kenny Barron, Paul West, Ralph Peterson Jr., Bertha Hope, Wynton Marsalis, Lakecia Benjamin, Robert Glasper, Esparanza Spalding and Ambrose Akinmusire. With gratitude to Jeremy for these beautiful and important books, we’re sending all profits received from their sale to the JFA’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund. All books signed by the artist.
Click here for Griot: Examining the Lives of Jazz's Great Storytellers
JEREMY PELT - SOUNDTRACK
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