Sometimes when jazz “summit meetings” form, the affair can sound deferential and safe. Not here; Jeremy Pelt/tp, Steve Nelson/vib, Danny Grissett/p, Peter Washington/b and Bill Stewart/dr, all studs in their own right, show their teeth and flex their muscles on this lyrical and swinging collection of originals and jazz standards.
Everyone gets a chance in the spotlight, and you know you’re in for something special when the first solo on the album is by bassist Washington during the blues bopper “Look At Here.” The rhythm team sizzles o Pelt’s “Sage” and gets playful on Grissett’s “Mr. Wiggleworm” as Pelt taps into Hubbards’ cupboard for a hard hitting solo. Grissett glows along with Nelso on the standard “But Beautiful” while the moody “Ascona” creates some clever directions and harmonies. Stewart drives the horses like Walter Brennan on “Tincture” and leads the team to the finish line on a swinging take of “We See.”
I saw this band in concert, and they make you remember why you fell in love with jazz in the first place.
High Note Records