April 4 Kickoff for Giant Step Arts & KEYED UP!: Series of Jazz Concerts in Central Park

Artist-focused non-profit Giant Step Arts partners with Jazz Generation's KEYED UP! for new edition of acclaimed concert series Walk With The Wind

Free performances beginning April 4 in Central Park honor legacy of congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis

Featuring Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet, William Parker Trio, James Brandon Lewis Freed Style Free Trio, Melissa Aldana Trio, Chris Potter Trio, Antonio Sanchez Trio, Marquis Hill Quartet, Michael Thomas Quartet, Nasheet Waits, Mark Turner, Marika Hughes, and Immanuel Wilkins

"Sitting socially distanced on The Mall and listening to live jazz feels like an optimistic moment...Jimmy Katz and Giant Step Arts are plugging a gap with Walk With The Wind." - Dan Bergsagel, London Jazz News

Giant Step Arts in partnership with Jazz Generation’s KEYED UP! continues the acclaimed performance series Walk With The Wind honoring civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis. The concerts – curated by Jimmy Katz and Nasheet Waits – will take place at pop up locations in New York City’s Central Park.

Shows run from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and feature at least two bands. They will be rescheduled in case of inclement weather.

CONCERT SCHEDULE

• Sunday, April 4 – Note new location at The South End of the Mall

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, trumpeter Giveton Gelin, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck   

1 p.m. – The Wayne Escoffery/Jeremy Pelt Quartet with Dezron Douglas and Johnathan Blake  

• Saturday, April 10

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck 

1 p.m. – William Parker Trio with Cooper Moore and Hamid Drake 

• Sunday, April 11 

11 a.m. – Alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, bassist Phil Norris, and drummer Robert Lotreck 

1 p.m. – Melissa Aldana Trio with Pablo Menares and Kush Abadey  

• Saturday, April 17 – Chris Potter Trio with Joe Martin and Nasheet Waits

• Sunday, April 18 – Antonio Sanchez Trio with Donny McCaslin and Matt Brewer

• Saturday, April 24 – Marquis Hill Quartet

• Sunday, April 25 – Michael Thomas Quartet with Michael Rodriguez, Edward Perez and Johnathan Blake

• Saturday, May 1 – James Brandon Lewis, Freed Style Free Trio with Rashaan Carter and Chad Taylor; Aaron Burnett Quartet with Peter Evans, Nick Jozwiak, and Tyshawn Sorey

• Saturday, May 8 – Marika Hughes: The New String Quartet with Hughes, Charlie Burnham, Marvin Sewell, and Rashaan Carter

Other upcoming dates will include bands led by Nasheet Waits, Mark Turner, and Immanuel Wilkins.

“The pandemic has been disastrous for musicians, many of whom normally earn a living through live performances and tours,” says Katz. “We wanted to find a way to continue supporting musicians, bring them together with audiences safely, and enable them to have a payday! Walk with the Wind, honoring the legacy of the great American John Lewis, is one way we are accomplishing this, and the response has been tremendous.”  

The well-received series, which began August 28, 2020 with Wayne Escoffery’s trio, has also featured The Marquis Hill Quartet, the Michael Thomas Trio, Marcus Strickland Trio, the Eric McPherson Trio, the Leap Day Trio and the Joel Ross Quartet. 

Founded by renowned photographers Jimmy and Dena Katz in January 2018, Giant Step Arts is an innovative, artist-focused non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and showcasing the work of innovative modern jazz artists. Giant Step Arts offers musicians the artistic and financial resources to create bold, adventurous new music free of commercial pressure. Giant Step Arts provides promotional material and publicity services, presents premiere performances and compensates artists, records performances for independent release, provides artists with CDs and digital downloads to sell directly, conveys complete ownership of masters to artists, and provides PR support for the recordings. “Giant Step Arts does not sell any music,” Katz says. “Our goals are to help musicians make bold artistic statements and to advance their careers.”

Jazz Generation was founded in 1999 to emphasize the importance of live jazz as an art form and the performing arts as a cultural asset. The Jazz Discovery Program (JDP) and The Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra (JSYO), and since 2014 KEYED UP!, an anti-poverty program, has offered services that support professional jazz artists in their performing careers, revitalize local businesses, and develop a new generation of audiences and performers. KEYED UP! Has quickly become a favorite NYC entity for musicians, audiences, and venues. Operating simultaneously in over 25 partner venues spanning from Jersey City to Boston, KeyedUP! Is proud to keep hundreds of musicians working and thousands of jazz listeners happy at no extra cost to partner venues.

Jeremy Pelt - Griot: This Is Important! (2021 HighNote Records)

It is only natural that Jeremy Pelt's voracious curiosity would lead him to investigate the West African Griot tradition where stories, reminiscences and accomplishments from times past are handed down as oral histories. Researchers such as Art Taylor, William Russell and Alan Lomax have preserved interviews with older jazzmen but for his Griot odyssey, Pelt turns to his own peer group to record their thoughts on creating jazz, playing jazz and experiencing the life of a jazz musician of color in our own time.

Each brief interview is followed by a composition by Pelt which perfectly captures the sentiments and emotions of it's spoken-word prelude. To help him bring his vision to life, Pelt has assembled a hand-picked group of colleagues, featuring vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu, pianist Victor Gould, bassist Vicente Archer, harpist Brandee Younger and others. The tunes themselves run the gamut from the remarkable mixing of the sacred and the secular in "Carry Christ Wherever You Are," to the Monk-like gallumphing opening unison in "Don't Dog the Source," and the urgent, "Underdog." As Pelt himself says, "I want people to understand that this is for everybody," that the project was undertaken to perhaps help them "understand that whatever they might be going through, their perspectives might run parallel to those of people who are generations apart from them. Maybe, to a certain extent, these younger people will find themselves in these stories."

1 Griot - Intro (Words by Jeremy Pelt) (Music with Commentary)

2 Words by Paul West (Spoken Commentary)

3 Carry Christ Wherever You Are (Instrumental)

4 Words by Larry Willis (Spoken Commentary)

5 Underdog (Instrumental)

6 Words by JD Allen (Spoken Commentary)

7 Don't Dog the Source (Instrumental)

8 Words by Bertha Hope (Spoken Commentary)

9 A Seat at the Table (Words by Bertha Hope) (Music with Commentary)

10 Words by Harold Mabern (Spoken Commentary) [Explicit]

11 Solidarity (Instrumental)

12 Words by René Marie (Spoken Commentary) [Explicit]

13 A Beautiful (F*cking) Lie (Instrumental)

14 In Spite of... (Words by Warren Smith) (Music with Commentary) [Explicit]

15 Words by Ambrose Akinmusire (Spoken Commentary)

16 Relevance (Instrumental)

Jeremy Pelt – trumpet (all tracks except spoken commentary)

Chien Chien Lu – vibraphone (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, & 16)

Victor Gould – piano (tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, & 16), nord keyboard (track 14),

Vicente Archer – bass (all tracks except spoken commentary)

Allan Mednard – drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, & 16)

Ismel Wignall – percussion (tracks 1, 3, 9 & 11)

Brandee Younger – harp (track 13)

Pre-order

Johnny Griffith Quintet - The Lion, Camel & Child (GB RECORDS December 7, 2018)

Wonderful new modern jazz album from Toronto saxophonist Johnny Griffith and his quintet, entitled The Lion, Camel & Child.  It's the second release from  Griffith’s all-star quintet - a band made up of of four of Toronto’s leading jazz lights, along with the legendary New York trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. 

For this release, Griffith drew inspiration from the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche - speci cally his book Three Metamorphoses. As Griffith explains, “Metamorphoses is concerned with what propels each new phase of human growth, so it seemed fitting to frame this as a suite – each track individual unto itself, yet when listened to as a whole representing the arc of the personal struggle to know more and be more.” 

Central to the album is the suite that illustrates these phases and the qualities that define them: The Lion, virtuous and rebelious; The Camel, courageous and dutiful; and The Child, playful and free of spirit.

Johnny Griffith is a multi-Juno Award nominated saxophonist, composer and producer who has played and recorded with numerous artists including Don Thompson, Hawksley Workman, Jeremy Pelt, Charlie Hunter, The Wailers, Alex Dean, Laila Biali, Al Henderson Quintet, Brandi Disterheft and Terra Hazelton to name a few, and is a member of the popular Canadian funk/hip hop group, the Pocket Dwellers. He has toured extensively across Canada, the United States, and Europe performing at all the major Canadian music festivals as well as several international venues including the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.  

The Johnny Griffith Quintet is the artist’s first solo venture and launched with “Dance with the Lady” in 2015. Featuring NYC’s Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, the album was the featured release on WBGO Jazz radio New Jersey. Johnny continues with the soon to be released “The Lion, Camel and Child”, again with Pelt, previewing at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival 2018.  

In 2015, Johnny created the non-profit independent jazz label G-B Records and has gone on to produce and engineer Nathan Hiltz’s “Songs Poetic”, Whitney Ross-Barris  “Bright Lunch Trio”, Graeme Stephen’s “Projector Trio”, Adrean Farrugia/Joel Frahm’s “Blued Dharma, and Chris Wallace’s “Many Names”.

Johnny is also an active film and television composer. He has composed the scores for the films Still to Go and The Recipe  - both films have appeared in Toronto Film Festival, the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival. He also is a freelance composer for the Bell/CTV media group.

Johnny Griffith  will be releasing The Lion, Camel & Child on Friday, December 7th, 2018 on GB Records.

Judith Lorick feat. Eric Reed Trio CD Release Show: @ Smoke Thursday, October 18th Showtimes: 7pm, 9pm & 10:30pm

Judith Lorick

featuring

The Eric Reed Trio  

“The Second Time Around”

CD Release Show

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Smoke Jazz & Supper Club

2751 Broadway, NY

Showtimes:

7pm, 9pm & 10:30pm

Tickets: $15

Tickets & Info

Judith Lorick (v)

Eric Reed (p)

Dave Baron (b)

McClenty Hunter (d)

New CD September 28, 2018

“Gifted with an extraordinary voice, Judith Lorick combines charm, elegance and refinement”

“Les Nuits du Jazz” Cannes (France)

JUDITH LORICK is a vocalist we should have heard from long before now. In an era of exaggeration and pyrotechnics, Judith’s voice is a soothing reminder of what it means to have quality of tone and sophistication, all captured on her latest project, The Second Time Around, an array of popular pieces, warmly and refreshingly treated by Judith and her collaborator, multi-faceted pianist Eric Reed. Supplementing accompaniment is a diverse collection of talent including Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, McClenty Hunter on drums, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass, and a recent arrival to the music scene, tenor saxophonist Chris Lewis. 

The Second Time Around celebrates several life events for Judith, most notably the reunion with her long lost love, Artie. To tell the story, Reed encouraged her to select songs that were intrinsic to it; not surprisingly, the most appropriate and moving songs turned out to be ballads. “Eric was in tune to the fact that singing ballads is something that I’m passionate about, and that this passion would resonate with others,” Judith recalls. This heartwarming and poignant tale is rendered through the lyrics of tireless classics like “I’ll Be Seeing You”, the title track “The Second Time Around” and rarer gems like “Why Did I Choose You”and “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life”. Judith explains her ease with the repertoire, stating, “Interpreting ballads comes naturally to me because they resonate in my soul, and that’s where I sing from, where I live. As long as I can feel it, as long as I can react spontaneously in my interpretation and phrasing, I can relate honestly to people.”More than anything, pure and unfettered honesty pours out of this project.

Judith’s passion is not just limited to ballads, but to music in general. “My mother ‘gave me voice’. She constantly had music on in our home, so by the time I was a teenager, and began to sing jazz, I already knew three hundred songs!”she exclaims. This carefully selected program of songs is rooted in Judith’s natural proclivity towards education:“When I perform, I tend to do songs that people might not know because I feel part of my job is to make people aware of great songs that are rarely interpreted.” In the midst of music, family, and a very successful business career, Judith has found and lost love, finding it againfour decades later; she has lived every lyric sung.

A native of Philadelphia (as is her collaborator Reed), Judith has traversed the globe not only as performer, but as resident, having spent extensive time in southern California, and almost thirty years in the south of France, where she first met Eric at an after-hours jam session in 1995, where “The magic was immediate,”she remembers. “When you breathe together like that, from the first note, well, it was a musical experience one never forgets.”  When Judith returned to the U.S. in 2014, they reconnected after one of Eric’s performancesand not long after, their collaboration ensued – the secondtime around.

“Judith and I were diligent about every aspect of this project, which was a treat for me,”says Reed. “Her trust was paramount in doing this.”Their due diligence paid off in the assemblage of a masterful and sympathetic quintet, an unusual choice for a vocal recording. Judith explains, “I love what Jeremy Pelt and Chris Lewis add to the overall sound. Sometimes, we were just going for sounds and colors versus full-on solos. Eric and I were interested in scoring a storyline versus simply recording songs.”Illuminating further about her collaborator and co-producer, “Eric is amazing – talented, creative, meticulous, and sensitive. He’s not merely an accompanist here, it’s as if we’re singing together.”

Although the songs are familiar, the story of The Second Time Around, is a unique and moving saga about which Judith summarizes,“I’m glad I came home. It was time.”

Judith Lorick The Second Time Around

(JLJ International LLC JLJ2014) 

Street Date: September 28, 2018

Vocals: Judith Lorick

Piano: Eric Reed

Trumpet: Jeremy Pelt

Drums: McClenty Hunter

Bass: Kiyoshi Kitagawa

Tenor Saxophone: Chris Lewis

www.judithlorick.com

Media Contact

Jim Eigo

Jazz Promo Services

E Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Camille Thurman - Waiting for the Sunrise (CHESKY RECORDS August 24, 2018)

"You’re hard-pressed to find rising talents more exciting than Camille Thurman."

- New York Times 

Following up her Chesky debut, Inside the Moment, which debuted #25 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart, Camille Thurman returns for her sophomore Chesky effort. Supported by Jazz veterans Cecil McBee (Bass), Jack Wilkins (Guitar), Steve Williams (Drums), and Jeremy Pelt (Trumpet), Camille showcases her remarkable talent and potential both vocally and on saxophone on this collection of Jazz standards entitled Waiting for the Sunrise. 

Part of the Chesky Binaural + Series, all recorded with a single microphone, the band appears right before you with this spacious, lush and multi-dimensional recording. Now headphone users will hear the same three-dimensional sound and imaging as audiophiles have for the past 25 years with Chesky Recordings. Also these new Binaural+ Series albums capture even more spatial realism for the home audiophile market, bringing you one step closer to the actual event. You will hear some of the most natural and pure music ever recorded.

Camille Thurman: Voice and Tenor Saxophone

Cecil McBee: Bass

Jack Wilkins: Guitar

Steve Williams: Drums

Jeremy Pelt: Trumpet

1. I Just Found Out About Love

2. Some Of These Days

3. Tarde

4. After You’ve Gone

5. September In The Rain

6. The Nearness Of You

7. Easy to Love

8. I’m On Your Side

9. World Waiting For The Sunrise

10. If You Love Me (Really Love Me)

Jared Gold - Reemergence (STRIKEZONE RECORDS 2018) + CD Release Shows

CD Release Shows

Jared Gold – organ 

Dave Stryker - guitar

Billy Hart - drums

Joel Frahm - tenor sax

Friday & Saturday August 24-25

Smalls

83 W 10th St

New York, NY 10014

www.smallslive.com

Most jazz fans have encountered the unfortunate scenario of being thrilled by the names on an album cover but then being disappointed by the music. That is definitely not the case with the new leader project from Jared Gold, which showcases the versatile organist and his all-star band: guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Billy Hart and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. Stryker, who also produced the album, has a 14-year history with Gold, and his simpatico rapport with the organist spices up the proceedings, as each musician frequently adds clever coloration when the other is unleashing a sturdy solo. Hart—whose subtle brushwork is just as mesmerizing as his powerful stick-work in this program—demonstrates the mastery that has made him a legend. Pelt, who adds potent brass to three tracks, elevates this disc: Without him, these sessions might have yielded a memorable trio disc, but with him on board, the result is one of the strongest straightahead discs of the year thus far.

This band certainly can burn, as evidenced by the title track (which was penned by the leader), but a poignant reading of The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” reflects Gold’s ability to tug at the listener’s heartstrings with a melancholy mood. Gold has curated a wonderful, eclectic program that features two Gershwin tunes (“It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “How Long Has This Been Going On”), Ornette Coleman’s “Blues Connotation,” Stevie Wonder’s “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love” (from 1972’s Talking Book) and “One For John A,” a swinging, original tribute to the late guitar icon John Abercrombie, with whom the organist worked for years. Gold and Stryker can ignite fireworks at will, but on this rendition of “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” both musicians coax a vocal timbre out of their respective axes. Nicely done, gentlemen. (Bobby Reed DownBeat Magazine Editor's Pick)

...one of the year’s strongest titles to date and upon repeated listening  gets so much more enjoyable. (CJ Shearn Jazz Views)

...this is a CD that will be loved by Hammond fans, and highlights Gold’s talents as both a creative organist as well as arranger. His talents have matured and hopefully we’ll see more exploratory efforts from Jared well into the future. (Jeff Know Audiophile Audition)

Billy Hart, on drums, fuels the first and title tune, “Reemergence” composed by the featured artist, Jared Gold. Gold is a fresh, jazz -organ, recording artist making waves on the East Coast. This is his eighth recording, and he’s surrounded himself with a group of excellent musicians to support his musical concepts. Dave Stryker is not only a proficient guitarist, but a record producer with his own label, a composer and a very busy New York musician. Drummer, Billy Hart, is legendary and was once the drummer of choice with the great Jimmy Smith. Trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, is a refreshing addition to the organ trio. The first thing that stands out about Jared Gold is his ability to take familiar songs like Stevie Wonder’s “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love’ or the Lennon/McCartney standard, “She’s Leaving Home” and turn them into harmonically fresh works of art. Gold’s creativity with harmonics is formidable. Gold started out as a piano player, but quickly found his expressive niche on the organ. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey February 27, 1980 and has worked extensively with Oliver Lake and John Abercrombie. This ninth album as a leader solidifies his unique approach to his instrument and his excursions into arrangements that are unique, like the title tune that roots itself in an unusual fourteen-bar blues pattern. On the tune, “Sweet Sweet Spirit” he takes us to church. Songs like “Ornette Coleman’s Blues Connotations” show the listener that he can groove with the best of them and also gives Hart an opportunity to break free and exuberantly solo on the drums. Jared Gold comes into sight and prominence once more, just like the title of this CD proclaims. (Dee Dee McNeil LA Jazz Musical Memoirs)

Recently voted the Top Rising Star on organ in an annual Downbeat poll, NYC based B-3 visionary Jared Gold fashions a dynamic through line to the generation of jazz organ that inhabits his muse by including, on his Strikezone debut Reemergence, legendary drummer Billy Hart, who got his start in the 60s with Jimmy Smith.

Ensembling again with guitarist Dave Stryker (who also produced), and adding trumpeter Jeremy Pelt to the fold, Gold creates an explosive melodic and rhythmic master class on the organ’s wide-ranging possibilities. He re-imagines Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Gershwin, an Ornette Coleman blues classic and a renowned church song – but saves his most imaginative expressions for his easy swinging tribute to John Abercrombie (who he played with for a few years) and Stryker’s adventurous closer “Nomad.” (Jonathan Widran JWVIBE)

Jared Gold is one of the most harmonically creative and grooving of the new generation of organists working today. Although influenced by the greats of the past, Jared is taking the organ into the future with his own sound. With his latest project Reemergence, Jared returns with new compositions, ideas and arrangements since his last recording Metropolitan Rhythm for Posi-Tone Records three years ago. Joining Jared are drum legend Billy Hart, (who started with Jimmy Smith in the 60 s) guitarist Dave Stryker and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. This is a working trio with many gigs under their belts, and the communication is strong. Adding Jeremy Pelt, one of the finest of the new trumpeters, was an inspiring choice.

Dave Stryker: I first met Jared at Cecil s Jazz Club in 2004, and having played with many of the great organists myself, I immediately heard that this was a young man who was already establishing his own original voice. He has been a member of my trio ever since.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey on Feb. 27th, 1980, he attended William Paterson University studying piano before switching exclusively to organ. He is a big part of the New York scene and has worked with many of the greats including Oliver Lake and John Abercrombie. He has recorded 8 CDs as a leader, is a sidemen on many more and recently won Top Rising Star Organist in Downbeat magazine.

As always, Jared puts his own individual stamp on the music. His originals have unique harmonic twists and turns. Reemergence is a burning line that leads into a 14 bar blues form. One for John A. is dedicated to the late, great guitarist, whom Jared worked with for several years. Gold s skills as an arranger are evident on his treatment of Stevie Wonder s Looking for Another True Love (putting a classic groove on it that would make Jack McDuff proud) and the Beatles ballad She s Leaving Home, along with the standards It Ain t Necessarily So, and How Long Has This Been Going On. No organ trio record would be complete without a blues and Ornette Coleman s Blues Connotation is a piece that Jared first played with Abercrombie. Jared s church gigs inspired his gospel arrangement of Sweet Sweet Spirit, and he closes the set with Nomad, a Dave Stryker original Billy puts his inimitable signature on as he did on Stryker s first record First Strike in 1988. On Reemergence Jared Gold shows once again why he is one of the new greats of the organ.

1. Reemergence

2. It Ain't Necessarily So

3. Lookin' For Another Pure Love

4. She's Leaving Home

5. One For John A

6. How Long Has this Been Going On

7. Blues Connotation

8. Sweet Sweet Spirit

9. Nomad

Jared Gold - Hammond B3 organ

Dave Stryker - guitar

Jeremy Pelt - trumpet, flugelhorn

Billy Hart - drums

Media Contact

Jim Eigo

Jazz Promo Services

272 State Route 94 South #1

Warwick, NY 10990-3363

Ph: 845-986-1677 

Cell / text: 917-755-8960

Skype: jazzpromo

jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Black Art Jazz Collective - Armor of Pride (HIGHNOTE RECORDS 2018)

The Black Art Jazz Collective's mission statement celebrates African-American cultural and political icons. At the core is a modernism that conjures up the classic bands of Art Blakey and acoustic Miles Davis. But with the contemporary soul-fuelled solos and locked-in rhythm the band is more likely to launch into a counterpoint riff or the spacious funk of hip-hop than the svelte lines of a classic walking bass. The Black Art Jazz Collective delivers strong original tunes and purposeful, form-hugging improvisation that keeps things looking forward rather than back. And with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on ebullient form, and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery's muscularity contrasting with the tenderness of James Burton III's trombone, the focus never becomes diffuse or wavers.

Miller Time

Armor of Pride

Awuraa Amma

The Spin Doctor

And There She Was Lovely as Ever

Pretty

When Will We Learn

Black Art

Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

James Burton III, trombone

Xavier Davis, piano

Vicente Archer, bass

Johnathan Blake, drums

Jared Gold - Reemergence (STRIKEZONE RECORDS 2018) + CD Release Shows

CD Release Shows

Wednesday, June 20th 8:00pm-11:00pm 

Tavern on George

361 George St

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

www.tavernongeorge.com

Jared Gold – organ 

Dave Stryker - guitar

Billy Hart - drums

Joel Frahm - tenor sax

Friday & Saturday August 24-25

Smalls

83 W 10th St

New York, NY 10014

www.smallslive.com

Most jazz fans have encountered the unfortunate scenario of being thrilled by the names on an album cover but then being disappointed by the music. That is definitely not the case with the new leader project from Jared Gold, which showcases the versatile organist and his all-star band: guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Billy Hart and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. Stryker, who also produced the album, has a 14-year history with Gold, and his simpatico rapport with the organist spices up the proceedings, as each musician frequently adds clever coloration when the other is unleashing a sturdy solo. Hart—whose subtle brushwork is just as mesmerizing as his powerful stick-work in this program—demonstrates the mastery that has made him a legend. Pelt, who adds potent brass to three tracks, elevates this disc: Without him, these sessions might have yielded a memorable trio disc, but with him on board, the result is one of the strongest straightahead discs of the year thus far.

This band certainly can burn, as evidenced by the title track (which was penned by the leader), but a poignant reading of The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” reflects Gold’s ability to tug at the listener’s heartstrings with a melancholy mood. Gold has curated a wonderful, eclectic program that features two Gershwin tunes (“It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “How Long Has This Been Going On”), Ornette Coleman’s “Blues Connotation,” Stevie Wonder’s “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love” (from 1972’s Talking Book) and “One For John A,” a swinging, original tribute to the late guitar icon John Abercrombie, with whom the organist worked for years. Gold and Stryker can ignite fireworks at will, but on this rendition of “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” both musicians coax a vocal timbre out of their respective axes. Nicely done, gentlemen. (Bobby Reed DownBeat Magazine Editor's Pick)

...one of the year’s strongest titles to date and upon repeated listening  gets so much more enjoyable. (CJ Shearn Jazz Views)

...this is a CD that will be loved by Hammond fans, and highlights Gold’s talents as both a creative organist as well as arranger. His talents have matured and hopefully we’ll see more exploratory efforts from Jared well into the future. (Jeff Know Audiophile Audition)

Billy Hart, on drums, fuels the first and title tune, “Reemergence” composed by the featured artist, Jared Gold. Gold is a fresh, jazz -organ, recording artist making waves on the East Coast. This is his eighth recording, and he’s surrounded himself with a group of excellent musicians to support his musical concepts. Dave Stryker is not only a proficient guitarist, but a record producer with his own label, a composer and a very busy New York musician. Drummer, Billy Hart, is legendary and was once the drummer of choice with the great Jimmy Smith. Trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, is a refreshing addition to the organ trio. The first thing that stands out about Jared Gold is his ability to take familiar songs like Stevie Wonder’s “Lookin’ For Another Pure Love’ or the Lennon/McCartney standard, “She’s Leaving Home” and turn them into harmonically fresh works of art. Gold’s creativity with harmonics is formidable. Gold started out as a piano player, but quickly found his expressive niche on the organ. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey February 27, 1980 and has worked extensively with Oliver Lake and John Abercrombie. This ninth album as a leader solidifies his unique approach to his instrument and his excursions into arrangements that are unique, like the title tune that roots itself in an unusual fourteen-bar blues pattern. On the tune, “Sweet Sweet Spirit” he takes us to church. Songs like “Ornette Coleman’s Blues Connotations” show the listener that he can groove with the best of them and also gives Hart an opportunity to break free and exuberantly solo on the drums. Jared Gold comes into sight and prominence once more, just like the title of this CD proclaims. (Dee Dee McNeil LA Jazz Musical Memoirs)

Recently voted the Top Rising Star on organ in an annual Downbeat poll, NYC based B-3 visionary Jared Gold fashions a dynamic through line to the generation of jazz organ that inhabits his muse by including, on his Strikezone debut Reemergence, legendary drummer Billy Hart, who got his start in the 60s with Jimmy Smith.

Ensembling again with guitarist Dave Stryker (who also produced), and adding trumpeter Jeremy Pelt to the fold, Gold creates an explosive melodic and rhythmic master class on the organ’s wide-ranging possibilities. He re-imagines Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Gershwin, an Ornette Coleman blues classic and a renowned church song – but saves his most imaginative expressions for his easy swinging tribute to John Abercrombie (who he played with for a few years) and Stryker’s adventurous closer “Nomad.” (Jonathan Widran JWVIBE)

Jared Gold is one of the most harmonically creative and grooving of the new generation of organists working today. Although influenced by the greats of the past, Jared is taking the organ into the future with his own sound. With his latest project Reemergence, Jared returns with new compositions, ideas and arrangements since his last recording Metropolitan Rhythm for Posi-Tone Records three years ago. Joining Jared are drum legend Billy Hart, (who started with Jimmy Smith in the 60 s) guitarist Dave Stryker and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. This is a working trio with many gigs under their belts, and the communication is strong. Adding Jeremy Pelt, one of the finest of the new trumpeters, was an inspiring choice.

Dave Stryker: I first met Jared at Cecil s Jazz Club in 2004, and having played with many of the great organists myself, I immediately heard that this was a young man who was already establishing his own original voice. He has been a member of my trio ever since.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey on Feb. 27th, 1980, he attended William Paterson University studying piano before switching exclusively to organ. He is a big part of the New York scene and has worked with many of the greats including Oliver Lake and John Abercrombie. He has recorded 8 CDs as a leader, is a sidemen on many more and recently won Top Rising Star Organist in Downbeat magazine.

As always, Jared puts his own individual stamp on the music. His originals have unique harmonic twists and turns. Reemergence is a burning line that leads into a 14 bar blues form. One for John A. is dedicated to the late, great guitarist, whom Jared worked with for several years. Gold s skills as an arranger are evident on his treatment of Stevie Wonder s Looking for Another True Love (putting a classic groove on it that would make Jack McDuff proud) and the Beatles ballad She s Leaving Home, along with the standards It Ain t Necessarily So, and How Long Has This Been Going On. No organ trio record would be complete without a blues and Ornette Coleman s Blues Connotation is a piece that Jared first played with Abercrombie. Jared s church gigs inspired his gospel arrangement of Sweet Sweet Spirit, and he closes the set with Nomad, a Dave Stryker original Billy puts his inimitable signature on as he did on Stryker s first record First Strike in 1988. On Reemergence Jared Gold shows once again why he is one of the new greats of the organ.

1. Reemergence

2. It Ain't Necessarily So

3. Lookin' For Another Pure Love

4. She's Leaving Home

5. One For John A

6. How Long Has this Been Going On

7. Blues Connotation

8. Sweet Sweet Spirit

9. Nomad

Jared Gold - Hammond B3 organ

Dave Stryker - guitar

Jeremy Pelt - trumpet, flugelhorn

Billy Hart - drums

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Johnny Griffith Quintet - The Lion, Camel & Child (GBRECORDS 2018)

Johnny’s second quintet album is coming soon.

Featuring the same great musician’s as Johnny’s 2015 release Dance With The Lady. Jeremy Pelt – Trumpet, Adrean Farrugia – Piano, Jon Maharaj – Bass, Ethan Ardelli – Drums and Johnny on Tenor Saxophone.

The album is once again all of Johnny’s own original compositions with firm roots in the Hard Bop of the 60’s but with a modern twist.

1 The Lion

2 The Camel

3 Cadenza

4 The Child

5 Narcomedusae

6 Strawberry Qwik

7 Amarone

8 For A Derailed Painter

9 Deliciously Ambiguous

10 The Corridor

11 Last Say

Johnny Griffith • Tenor Sax

Jeremy Pelt • Trumpet

Adrean Farrugia • Piano

Jon Maharaj • Bass

Ethan Ardelli • Drums

Jim Snidero & Jeremy Pelt - Jubilation!: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (SAVANT RECORDS April 24, 2018)

Cannonball Adderley is considered to be one of the all-time greatest jazz musicians; one whose playing projected depth and command. But, he also possessed the rare ability to connect and uplift the listener, shouting out "joy" in every phrase. For his 90th birthday, "Jubilation!" celebrates the genius of Cannonball Adderley. Beloved veterans Jim Snidero (Downbeat critics' poll) and Jeremy Pelt create a formidable front line while David Hazeltine, Nat Reeves and Billy Drummond form an incomparable rhythm section. It's an all-star lineup celebrating a true jazz giant.

1. Party Time

2. Del Sasser

3. Wabash

4. Saudade

5. Stars Fell on Alabama

6. Sack O' Woe

7. Ball's 90th

8. Work Song

Jeremy Pelt - Noir en Rouge (Live in Paris) HighNote Records 2018

Recorded live in Paris at the famed Sunside / Sunset Jazz Club, Jeremy and his colleagues deliver a set of searing intensity and unparalleled musicianship. Pelt's group is that rarest of all things in jazz, a working band, and the communication that comes from extensive time spent playing together is evident. All the players are among the foremost 30-something neo-bop players in jazz today giving the group an all-star-type reputation with a well-rehearsed sound that comes only with familiarity and countless gigs. Pelt's own playing has earned accolades for his staggering virtuosity, which has elicited comparisons to trumpet icons like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, as well as for his studious, cerebral approach to the music. On this particular night in Paris, Pelt focused all his attention on creating the perfect phrase to fit each musical moment, sculpting long lines that let the music breathe and while building spontaneous ideas into finely-crafted miniatures.

1 Make Noise! (Live in Paris) 5:30

2 Re-invention (Live in Paris) 8:07

3 Sir Carter (Live in Paris) 9:38

4 Black Love Stories (Live in Paris) 7:02

5 Evolution (Live in Paris) 10:34

6 I Will Wait for You (Live in Paris) 11:48

7 Melody for V (Live in Paris) 5:30

8 Château d’eau (Live in Paris) 7:50

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

Victor Gould, piano

Vicente Archer, bass

Jonathan Barber, drums

Jacquelene Acevedo, percussion

John L. Nelson: Don't Play With Love - The John L. Nelson Project (ROPEADOPE RECORDS 2018)

It is with distinct pleasure that we announce the release of The John L. Nelson Project - Don't Play With Love. The long anticipated album was in discussion between Nelson and his eldest daughter Sharon many years ago, before Prince Rogers Nelson changed the world of music. Shelved as John L. Nelson frequently collaborated with Prince, the project re-appeared in serendipitous fashion: the sheet music falling out of a cabinet as Sharon Nelson was organizing (yes, just like the movie). Sharon brought the great Louis Hayes (Prince's cousin) to Paisley Park with his seasoned band - including Richard Germanson, Dezron Douglas, Vincent Herring, and Jeremy Pelt - and they laid down seven tracks live. 

The intense history paints the picture, yet the players and the melodies let the music jump right off the canvas. Don't Play With Love is a journey from the past to the present - we get the sense of an earlier time yet we feel all of the human emotion that rings true for eternity.

‘Our dad was a loving, caring, hardworking father and a prolific jazz musician most notably known as the father of the musical genius, our brother Prince. Our dad wrote and composed many songs, but they were never recorded until now. He was Prince’s musical inspiration, and this project is very special because it was recorded in Paisley Park and guided by the spirits of my father and brother Prince.  (Sharon L. Nelson)