Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory (feat. Jeremy Pelt)

Drummer Pete Zimmer's fourth recording as a bandleader and composer might stake his claim as a modern day version of Art Blakey. A very talented rhythm navigator and insistent swinger, Zimmer always keeps his original hard and post-bop music alive, fresh, and interesting. The personnel and sound of the group has changed dramatically since 2004, as pianist Toru Dodo, trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, saxophonist Joel Frahm, and bassist John Sullivan have departed. The top five rising star trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has joined the group, as has multi-faceted guitarist Avi Rothbard. Bassist David Wong is a holdover from the previous live CD Burnin' Live at the Jazz Standard and studio recording Judgment. This is a live club date from the Jazz Factory in Louisville, KY, and if you think the operative word "chillin'" from the title suggests a laid-back affair, think again. Zimmer clings to previous compositions like "Common Man" and "Search," both from his first CD Common Man — the former and effortless swing emphasizing the new trumpet-guitar sans sax tandem, the latter a grooving Latinized hard bopper with a formidable introductory solo from the drummer. A new tune from the pen of Zimmer "Summer Somber" (not Samba) is a serene waltz led by the witty Pelt with the drummer's excellent brushwork simmering underneath. The quartet does a precise read of the Sonny Rollins evergreen "Doxy," as Pelt favors a muted trumpet sound à la Miles Davis here and throughout the date, while their rousing hard bop version of "From This Moment On" at nearly 12 minutes allows the band to stretch out in energetic and highly literate fashion. Though Rothbard takes some nice solos and complements the other members, it is on the version of Kenny Dorham's "Una Mas" with its thin two-note original funk/boogaloo attitude where he displays his distinct Wes Montgomery style chops. Pete Zimmer is a musician to pay close attention to, as he is growing into the kind of player and composer most older musicians might dream of becoming. All of the listings in his discography, as this one, come heartily recommended. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi