Jeremy Pelt: Close To My Heart

For example, this disc opens amazingly with a cover of Mingus's "Weird Nightmare," not exactly the expected placid fare for a trumpet-with-strings project. The small string section, essentially a classical string quartet augmented with guitar, is gorgeously arranged by David O'Rourke not to sweeten the Mingus tune but to actually make it sound more nightmarishly beautiful. The strings create a spacious and complex tapestry which meshes effectively with Pelt's meaty solos.

Pelt is a thinking player who digs into Ellington's "Don't You Know I Care" and Frank Loesser's "In Your Eyes" and consistently manages to come up with fresh ideas. He also intelligently plays off openings offered by pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Peter washington, and particularly drummer Lewish Nash. Nash puts an extra bit of push into slow numbers that contributes to a sense of edgy romantic odyssey rather than romantic sightseeing. Close to My Heart solidifies Pelt's reputation as a major contemporary trumpeter with a imaginatively questing spirit and chops to match.

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