GRIOT: THIS IS IMPORTANT! by Jeremy Pelt

*Griot: This Is Important!* is part jazz album, part oral history project, with spoken interludes from fellow artists that trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has made a point of interviewing in recent years. Most are esteemed older figures (bassist Paul West, the late piano masters Larry Willis and Harold Mabern, pianist Bertha Hope, vocalist René Marie, percussionist Warren Smith). The others are peers or even bandmates, as in the case of big-gun tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen and fellow trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Over instrumental backing, Pelt briefly explains his intent on the leadoff track—not just to honor his forebears, but also to shed light on the meaning of the music and the motivations of those who devote their lives to it. Each song takes its title from a particularly arresting phrase or idea in the preceding interview snippet. The core lineup is a quintet, with vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu assuming a central melodic role next to Pelt on trumpet. Pianist Victor Gould adds ample harmonic color—even more so with Brandee Younger joining on harp for “A Beautiful (F\*cking) Lie.” Bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Allan Mednard drive the rhythm, aided by the impeccable touches of percussionist Ismel Wignall on four tracks. Pelt’s compositions are characteristically lyrical and flowing, bracingly modern, his trumpet work a model of clarity and invention whether open or muted. “Don’t Dog the Source,” with no piano, captures a particularly live feel as Pelt, Lu, and Mednard stretch out. Archer is on the case with a precise bass-trumpet unison on the closing melody, a fresh and unexpected detail.

A companion piece to his 2021 interview book Griot: Examining the Lives of Jazz's Great Storytellers, Griot: This Is Important! finds trumpeter Jeremy Pelt playing songs inspired by some of his most potent interviews.

Storytelling trumpeter Pelt boldly crosses genres and ages with agile contemporary bop, ballads and spoken word passages