Cut in August 2009,
Men of Honor initiated California-born trumpeter
Jeremy Pelt's involvement with
Joe Fields' New York-based HighNote record label. For this auspicious debut,
Pelt teamed up with Los Angeles pianist
Danny Grissett, Philadelphian bassist
Dwayne Burno, and two of Detroit's finest exponents: tenor saxophonist
J.D. Allen and master percussionist
Gerald Cleaver.
Men of Honor consists of a set of eight original compositions that brings to mind the coolly creative, mainstream, pre-electric works of
Lee Morgan,
Freddie Hubbard, and
Miles Davis. It is a deliberately drawn salute to certain musical traditions established in the late '50s and early '60s which have endured and been extended by young artists enraptured by the harmonic poetics of early modern jazz. Comparisons abound in the literature surrounding
Pelt and his peers. This is inevitable as the influences run thick throughout his gradually expanding discography. He clearly came up listening to the Jazz Messengers,
Wayne Shorter, and the young
Wynton Marsalis. This thoughtful, well-crafted music is recommended for relaxation on a foggy day, or intuitive navigation after dark. ~ arwulf arwulf