Jeremy Pelt - Identity (2005)

Jeremy Pelt is a very talented trumpeter with a large sound and a creative style influenced by Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. On Identity, the music ranges from early-'70s Miles Davis-type fusion ("Eye of the Beholder" and "Scorpio") to a fiery tradeoff with vibraphonist Warren Wolf ("Angular"), from moody ballads with lots of space and Pelt's muted horn to post-bop romps. Joined by a rhythm section that includes the many keyboards of Frank LoCrasto with occasional contributions from Wolf and Myron Walden on soprano and bass clarinet, Pelt is the main star throughout this project. None of his ten originals are destined to become standards in the future, but his playing is versatile, inventive, and filled with fresh ideas.