Pete Zimmer - Dust Settles (2023)

Having lived, performed, developed, and matured in New York City for over 20 years, Dust Settles, my sixth album as a leader, is a cumulative representation of the years I’ve spent becoming a seasoned bandleader, composer, drummer, and record label entrepreneur. I cannot be prouder of the music we made on this session as this album features some of the very best jazz musicians in the world today. This is a dream band for me with Stacy Dillard on tenor and soprano saxophones, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Miki Yamanaka piano, and Yasushi Nakamura bass.

We dive into seven of my original compositions and three classic standards, starting with my original “Smooch the Pooch,” a joyful calypso rhythm changes that’s dedicated to my dog that passed away right before the pandemic in February 2020. We then move directly into the title track, “Dust Settles,” a moving and melodic waltz, an introspective piece I composed in the fall of 2019, that intends to paint the picture of how at times in one’s life a lot of “dust,” which could also be considered turmoil, is kicked up, and then the process of the “dust” eventually settling down. This took on an additional meaning with the onslaught of the pandemic and how it affected us as musicians and the entertainment industry.

“Bush Walked In” is next, a contrafact from Thelonious Monk’s “In Walked Bud,” and features pianist Miki Yamanaka’s wonderful and creative individualistic stylings. This lively and fun tune is inspired literally and simply by a lovely bush on a street in Chicago, which I grew a bit fond of after moving to the Windy City. A bit of humor there.

Stacy Dillard is featured next on our rendition of the classic Kurt Weill song “Speak Low” done as a ballad. This is a moving and touching rendition that often gives me chills when I listen to it. It’s very powerful. We continue with my up-tempo minor groove swinger “Judgment” that was originally recorded as the title track for my third album, the 2006 release of Judgment (TIP1103). Here we bring new life to this song of mine that was first recorded some 16 years prior. It swings hard and the cats here are really blowing, you dig!?

Next, I’m very fortunate to feature one of the very best guitarists of our time, the great Peter Bernstein, on a Duke Pearson composition that was made famous by another legendary guitarist, Grant Green, on the title track of his album, Idle Moments released in 1965. Bernstein takes a stunning solo here on our rendition of “Idle Moments” and the support of the rest of the band is second to none.

“504 College Blues” is a blues of mine that I wrote when I went to school in the mid to late 90s in DeKalb, IL. It was always a fun little blues that we did in jest, but then I never played it with anyone until shortly before this recording session, which we had a fun time with. This one features the great Yasushi Nakamura on bass. “Sweet Love of Mine,” the Woody Shaw classic, was a suggestion Bernstein had towards the end of the session as I wanted to do a straight eighth note tune. This was a great call, as it features everyone, and they all tore it up!

We continue with another revisited tune of mine, “5 A.M. Blues,” which I originally recorded on my debut album released in 2004, Common Man. I’ve continued to play this one at times throughout the years with the different configurations of personnel I’ve had in my band. I am glad I made another documentation of this one which throws a little bit of everything in this 24-bar blues in 3. We close Dust Settles with “The Point” which seems appropriate to me. An original that feels like the proper way for this album to end. It puts a nice period at the end of this one, I feel.

As I write this at the age of 45, I could not be prouder of this album, band, music. I can’t thank these musicians enough for making this dream come true and playing so wonderfully! Thank you to Michael Marciano for his fantastic work on the sound and recording production, Spike Wilner for his support and everyone at Smalls and Mezzrow Jazz Clubs, Matt Baker for his wonderful photography, Jamie Breiwick and B Side Graphics for the great design work. Big thank you for the support from my family, friends, colleagues, and fans who love the music!