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Jeremy Pelt: Men of Honor

By Joel Roberts
January 13, 2010
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The title of firebrand trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's Men of Honor refers to the members of his quintet who, like their leader here, are among the foremost 30-something neo-bop players in jazz today. The album is a follow-up to Pelt's acclaimed November (MAXJAZZ, 2008), which marked this all-acoustic quintet's debut, and came on the heels of a couple of releases that explored a sort of early-1970s electric

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis vibe.

Heralded for years as one of the "rising stars" in jazz, Pelt has earned accolades for his staggering virtuosity, which has elicited comparisons to trumpet icons like

Clifford Brown

trumpet
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Clifford Brown,

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan and

Freddie Hubbard

trumpet
1938 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Freddie Hubbard, as well as for his studious, cerebral approach to the music. While he's clearly the man in charge here, Men of Honor is very much a band-focused release, with all five members of the group contributing compositions (Pelt penned four of the tunes) and all five voices heard distinctively and insistently throughout.

Pelt's group is that rarest of all things in jazz, a working band, and the familiarity and instant communication that come from extensive time spent playing together is evident.

JD Allen

saxophone, tenor
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">JD Allen is a perfect frontline partner for Pelt, his rich tenor sax sound offering a mellow counterpoint to the trumpeter's crisp, vivid tone. And the rhythm section of pianist

Danny Grissett

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Danny Grissett, bassist

Dwayne Burno

bass
1970 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Dwayne Burno and powerhouse drummer

Gerald Cleaver

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Cleaver is as dynamic as any working in jazz at the moment.

Among the standout tracks are Burno's strutting opener, "Backroad," Pelt's energetic ode to his new son, "Milo Hayward," and Grissett's romantic closer, "Without You." Most of the tunes here fall nominally under the rubric of post-bop, but some, like Pelt's "Danny Mack," edge further outside, with Grissett pounding out dissonant chords while Pelt and Allen solo furiously.

At 33, Pelt is just starting to come into his own. Men of Honor is his most mature, satisfying release to date and a great way to start 2010 in jazz.

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Track Listing

Backroad; Milo Hayward; Brooklyn Bound; Danny Mack; From a Life of the Same Name; Illusion; Us/Them; Without You.

Personnel

Jeremy Pelt

trumpet

Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; J.D. Allen: tenor saxophone; Danny Grissett: piano; Dwayne Burno: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Album information

Title: Men of Honor | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: HighNote Records

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