Beginning with 2005's
Identity
, trumpeter
Jeremy Pelt
began exploring '70s and '80s funk and fusion sounds inspired by the works of such luminaries as
Herbie Hancock
and
Miles Davis
. He continued these funk and electronic explorations on such albums as 2007's
Shock Value: Live at Smoke
and 2013's
Water and Earth
. While
Pelt
has also split his time playing and recording more straight-ahead post-bop albums, his 2014 album,
Face Forward, Jeremy
, combines the best of his acoustic recordings with the electronic-jazz hybrid sound of
. Here,
is joined by his longtime ensemble featuring pianist/keyboardist
David Bryant
, saxophonist
Roxy Coss
, bassist
Chris Smith
, and drummer
Dana Hawkins
. Also featured are vocalists
Fabiana Masili
Milton Suggs
, along with Rhodes keyboardist
Frank LoCrasto
and a handful of string players. This is a languid, atmospheric album that touches upon impressionistic, modal post-bop, soulful contemporary R&B, and groove-oriented '70s-style fusion. Tracks like "Princess Charlie" hang on a wordless vocal melody from
Masili
(mirrored by
Coss
) that leads into adventurous improvisations from
,
, and
Bryant
. "Rastros," once again showcasing
, is an Asian and Brazilian-inflected ballad punctuated by delicate harp lines, with
on a beautiful, muted solo. Elsewhere, cuts like "Stars Are Free" sound like something along the lines of '70s
, and "The Secret Code" features a frenetic jungle/drum'n'bass-influenced intro from
Hawkins
. Ultimately,
's
is a high-minded, well-crafted mix of cutting-edge acoustic and electric jazz that gently turns your ears toward the future of jazz, while never asking you to let go of the music's past. ~ Matt Collar