Jeremy Pelt makes his debut as a leader with
Profile, a nearly all-original outing that features
Robert Glasper on piano,
Gerald Cannon on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums. Tenor saxophonist
Jimmy Greene also plays on all but two tracks, while altoist Jaleel Shaw and guitarist
Mike Moreno lend their talents on one tune apiece. In addition to his formidable trumpet chops,
Pelt displays a mature and engaging compositional voice. On "Pieces of a Dream" and the bright bossa "We Share a Moon," he builds forms around unexpected rhythmic contours, pushing himself and the band well beyond the safe zone. He also gets tremendous results by leaving the groove loose, as on the opening "Aesop's Fables" and the longest piece, "Jigsaw." The latter comes to a rolling boil when
Glasper, one of jazz's most promising young pianists, lays out and yields the floor to
Greene's hell-raising tenor. But
Pelt has a cooler, melodic side as well; he brings it out on "A Song for You" and the closing quartet ballad, "You Won't Forget Me."
Cannon and Peterson, the session's veterans, provide a robust rhythmic engine without overshadowing
Pelt's precocious musicianship. ~ David R. Adler