the Informer

Courtesy Jeremy Pelt

From playing alongside of the biggest names in jazz and making his way through New York City, renowned trumpeter and recording artist, Jeremy Pelt now joins the faculty of The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at The Hartt School.

Once Pelt graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he began making a name for himself in New York. He began gaining attention from top musicians in the business, which led him to his first professional jazz gig with the Mingus Big Band.

From there Pelt was able to form associations with other members of the band, which eventually lead him to many other opportunities for growth.

Pelt has performed with jazz greats such as Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess, Charli Persip, Keter Betts, Frank Foster, John Hicks, Ravi Coltrane Nancy Wilson, Cliff Barbaro, Bobby “Blue” Band, Cedar Walton, and The Skatalites.

Pelt has also been featured in a number of bands including The Village Vanguard Orchestra, and the Duke Ellington Big Band.

Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalist Association have voted him Rising Star on the Trumpet for the past five years.

In a review of Pelt’s performance, Wall Street Journal jazz writer, Nat Hentoff said, “It is the beat of Jeremy Pelt’s heart…that underscores the future of jazz.”

Pelt’s philosophy for the future of jazz is that no one is without influence and the future is a combination of past influences and it’s what you do with what you’ve studied that forms your personal identity.

According to Pelt’s personal blog “The Pelt Files,” “Todays student needs to be less involved in the quest to be original, and more involved in the quest to be thorough and prepared…The modern day jazz student paradigm needs to be one of hours of practice, patience, persistence, and playing. Tempered by lots of listening.”

Pelts recently played at the New Haven Jazz Festival alongside of Hartt alumnus Jonathan Barber ’11.

Pelt’s music is available for download off of his website as well as iTunes. -cc