Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Jeremy Pelt’s latest recording is one of his most culturally aware and musically astute projects yet. Rooted in his reflections on his community’s artistic legacy, the album balances heritage with a fresh, modern outlook. Pelt’s compositions move fluidly through straight-ahead neo-bop, spacious ballads, post-impressionistic color and tasteful electronics. Anchored by jazz legends Lenny White and Buster Williams, with longtime collaborator Orrin Evans providing a modern harmonic foundation, the result is a vibrant, contemporary statement from a trumpeter and composer continuing to expand his voice with purpose and personality.
Formed in 2013 as an off-shoot of the Hofstra Alumni Jazz Orchestra, the Interplay Jazz Orchestra emerged from a shared desire to explore a more composer-driven vision for the modern jazz orchestra. That same year, the ensemble redefined its identity and mission, adopting its name to reflect its exclusive focus on music composed and arranged by members of the band, and releasing their debut album. In the summer of 2023, the IJO undertook its most ambitious project to date, recording two albums simultaneously. The second of those, “Bite Your Tongue,” is now getting its release. It highlights the diversity of the group’s individual writing voices while giving almost every member of the orchestra the opportunity to shine as a soloist.
Also this week, guitarist and composer Joshua Achiron is joined by three of Chicago’s most respected jazz musicians—saxophonist Geof Bradfield, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall—in making his recording debut, “Climbing”; the Peter Furlan Project is captured “Live at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar” in Nyack, New York; and vocalist and pianist Diane Marino’s “Live at Vitello’s” exemplifies a spontaneous, creative performance from five world class musicians.