WHILE THE WORLD MAY BE IN ‘LOCKDOWN’ MODE, JEREMY PELT’S CAREER HAS BEEN FREE AND ACTIVE. THIS YEAR HE’S RELEASED TWO ALBUMS THAT DISPLAY DIVERGENT COLORS OF HIS PALATE. HE’S MOST RECENTLY RELEASED THE THIRD ALBUM (ASCENSION) FROM HIS HARD HITTING BLACK ART JAZZ COLLECTIVE, WHICH IS AN EXCITING AND MASTERLY TOUR DE FORCE OF VINTAGE TONES AND GROOVES.
BUT EARLIER IN THE YEAR HE GRABBED EVERYONE’S ATTENTION WITH A GORGEOUS OUTING OF BALLADS WITH DEFT AND SUBTLE SUPPORT BY PIANIST GEORGE CABLES AND BASSIST PETER WASHINGTON, WITH AN IMPRESSIONISTIC, LYRICAL AND APTLY TITLED THE ART OF INTIMACY.
PELT HAS CARVED OUT A CAREER THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PEG, AS JUST WHEN YOU THINK HE’S A STRAIGHT BOPPER, AS EVIDENCED BY HIS EARLIEST ALBUMS, HE PIVOTS AND PLUGS IN ONCE IN AWHILE FOR A FUNKY FUSION OUTING. THEN, LAST YEAR, HE DID A COLLECTION OF PIECES DEDICATED TO THE ARTIST AUGUSTE RODIN, FURTHER WIDENING HIS MUSICAL REACH.
RECENTLY, WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF EMAILING MR. PELT, AND HE WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO SHARE HIS THOUGHTS ON HIS MUSIC AND LIFE.
YOUR LATEST ALBUM (THE ART OF INTIMACY, VOLUME 1) HAS YOU IN A DRUMMERLESS SETTING, WITH JUST PIANO AND BASS. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU IN THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT?
WHO DO YOU ‘LOCK IN TO” FOR THE PULSE IN A DRUMMERLESS BAND?
SINCE THIS ALBUM IS ENTITLED “VOLUME 1″, WHAT OTHER IDEAS DO YOU HAVE FOR ” THE ART OF INTIMACY”
WHEN DID YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAD YOUR OWN SOUND ON THE HORN?
YOU’VE HAD A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH GEORGE CABLES. HOW DID YOU FIRST MEET, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT HIS ACCOMPANIMENT?
WHEN YOU LISTEN TO A TRUMPET PLAYER, WHAT DO YOU LISTEN FOR?
DO YOU HAVE A ‘PET PEEVE’ ABOUT TRUMPET PLAYERS?
YOU’VE RECORDED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SETTINGS, FROM ACOUSTIC POST BOP TO ELECTRONIC. ARE ANY OF THEM YOUR ‘COMFORT FOOD’ STYLE OF PLAYING?
THIS TRIO ALBUM IS A MAJOR DEPARTURE FROM YOUR EARLIER ALBUM THE ARTIST, WHICH HAD EXTRA PERCUSSION AND WAS CENTERED AROUND THE SCUPTURES OF AUGUST RODIN. HOW DOES A VISUAL ART HELP YOU FIGURE OUT A COMPOSITION OR INSTRUMENTAL SELECTION/ARRANGEMENT?
YOU’VE ALSO RECENTLY BEEN PART OF ANOTHER EXCELLENT ALBUM FROM THE CO-OP BAND BLACK ART JAZZ COLLECTIVE (ASCENSION). THE BAND’S NAME OBVIOUSLY TOOK A LOT OF THOUGHT TO IT. WHICH WORD OF THE BAND’S NAME IS THE FOCUS OF THE GROUP?
LET’S TALK A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? WHAT ARE THREE MAJOR BOOKS YOU’D RECOMMEND OTHERS TO READ?
I INTERVIEWED ROXY COSS, AND SHE WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY HOW YOU RAN THE BAND WHEN SHE WAS IN IT, AS WELL AS YOUR INTEGRITY. WHO GAVE YOU THE BEST ADVICE FOR YOUR CAREER, AND WHAT WAS IT?
DO YOU HAVE A RELIGION OR PHILOSOPHY THAT HELPS MOTIVATE YOU AS A PERSON AND MUSICIAN?
WHAT MUSICIAN, LIVING OR DEAD, WOULD YOU PAY $1000 TO SEE, AND WHY?
WHO IN HISTORY OR PRESENT TIME WOULD YOU LIKE TO SIT DOWN WITH AND PICK THEIR BRAIN?
YOU’VE PLAYED WITH SOME AMAZING ARTISTS. WHO AMONG THOSE YOU’VE PLAYED WITH OR FOR HAD THE BEST ‘MUSICAL MIND’ AND WHY?
THERE ARE SO MANY YOUNG ARTISTS THAT WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THEM.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST JOY IN YOUR LIFE?My kids.
WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE?