Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeremy Pelt: Soundtrack

29

Jeremy Pelt: Soundtrack

By

View read count
Jeremy Pelt: Soundtrack
Although Soundtrack is the name of trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's latest album (more about that in a moment), there is another selection that more readily summarizes Pelt's lyric philosophy: "I Love Music." And while there is ample contrast, camaraderie and color on the album, there is no doubt that Pelt's clear and creative commentaries are the focal point. As for that title, "Soundtrack" is simply the name of a twenty-year-old ballad written for but never recorded by one of Pelt's earlier ensembles. "I've certainly done plenty of concept albums," Pelt writes, "but in this case there's nothing I'm on a soapbox about...Let's not worry about sending messages for a minute. Here we are, playing some songs and having some fun."

The "we" to whom Pelt refers are his core quintet (Chien Chien Lu, vibraphone; Victor Gould, keyboards; Vicente Archer, bass; Allan Mednard, drums) with guests Anne Drummond on flute ("The Lighter Side," "The Darker Side") and Brittany Anjou on mellotron ("The Darker Side") and Moog synthesizer ("I'm Still Standing"). The teammates do have some fun, and the album has its sunny moments, but there are times when the message is overshadowed by the special effects, as on "I'm Still Standing," whose lavish reverb makes it seem as though Pelt were playing his trumpet in the Grand Canyon.

In fact, swing doesn't arrive as the main course until the penultimate entree, "Shifting Images," on which Pelt and Lu readily embrace the sassy groove while Gould and Archer add their strong voices, Gould on Fender Rhodes. The closer, "You and Me," also swings but in a far more easygoing manner with Pelt and Gould again in fine form. It wanes into the ether, as do several other tracks starting with the intro, "Picking Up the Pieces," which fades in on a buoyant note and fades out quietly after undergoing a rather unsettling change of pace midstream. Lu handles her solo assignments with assurance, and she helps undergird the rhythm section.

"Be The Light" moves nicely in a laid-back groove, after which Drummond's is the main voice on the very brief (27-second) "Lighter Side" and adds welcome warmth on the dense and chillier "Darker Side." Pelt plays muted there, as he does on the dreamlike "I Love Music." While there is some admirable playing throughout, this is an album that doesn't seem quite sure where it is going or why. High marks, however, for the musicianship.

Track Listing

Picking Up the Pieces; Soundtrack; Be the Light; Part 1: The Lighter Side; Part 2: The Darker Side; Elegy; I’m Still Standing; I Love Music; Shifting Images; You and Me.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Soundtrack | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: HighNote Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.