Jeremy Pelt & Wired: Shock Value: Live at Smoke

The band is wired, literally and figuratively; Pelt uses occasional electronic effects with his trumpet in order to broaden his instrument's range of emotions, and the rest of the band takes advantage of the kind of 20th Century electronic technology that has been with us for several generations in order to get "plugged in and dangerous. Like familiar voices from the family around us, these instrumental textures make everyone in the house feel right at home.

Pelt, who will turn thirty-one in November, was born and raised in Los Angeles, went to school in Boston and settled in New York. His BA in Music from Berklee College of Music prepared him well and left him with a network of collaborations, which seems absolutely essential in this day and age of competitive business relationships. It's not his background that stands out when he takes the stage, however. It's simply what comes from deep inside him.

The trumpeter is at his best with a riveting ballad, such as "Cause, or a sensual blues, such as "Blues, where he leads his band in a storm of emotions. Several selections utilize organ combo textures with a hefty groove, while others recall the electric periods of Miles Davis. Pelt's trumpet creates a delightful session that shouldn't be missed.

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