Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt put the “POW” into his “Power Quintet” on a crisp Sunday night at the Moss Theatre. Promoting his upcoming album #JIVECULTURE, he delivered a sneak preview with the all star lineup of Steve Nelson/vib, Danny Grissett/p, Peter Washington/b and the indefatigable Bill Stewart/dr for 100 minutes of advanced hard bop that was as timeless as it was exciting.
The rhythm team was able to create snapping grooves on pieces such as the charging “Baswall’s Place” or the mid tempo gliding “Nephthys” to serve as a rich foundation for Pelt’s warm and well rounded horn. He was able to create a mix of lyricism and explosive explorations on these pieces while Nelson’s chiming work with 2 and 4 mallets made the vibes ricochet around the backbeat.
Grissett, on loan from his work with Tom Harrell, contributed the bouncy jaunt of “Heard’s Word” which provided a lively pulse for the mix of Nelson and Stewart to create a percussion discussion. The pianist’s “Mr Wiggleworm” featured the kinetic rhythm trio that formed an assertive yet melodically flowing pulse. With the tide continually rising on each chorus, Pelt dug into his long board and road the crest through the tube like he was hanging ten, while Grissom and Nelson turned in a handball match of carom shots of ivory and drums.
But Pelt saved the best for the most tender moment, as he went bel canto to step away from the mic and perform an aria of “Some Other Time” that mixed fluffy tones from the horn with bass and piano creating sonic autumn leaves falling by my window. He bookended the romantic ballad with unaccompanied solos that filled the room like it was Pavarotti and Teatro Alla Scala. Bravo!
Stewart’s Monkish tune “Tincture” included some exciting sharp angles with Pelts crisp horn shaving off the edges, while the closing “Look At Here” ended the evening with Pelt squeezing out blues notes like he was spitting out grapefruit seeds. By the time the easy strut was through, the leader showed that his music had lots of culture, but no jive.
Upcoming shows sponsored by the Bakery include a “solo” Kurt Rosenwinkel 01/16 and FORQ 01/25