Walking the tightrope that is stretched between history and progress is a difficult task for a young jazz musician. During the last five years, Jeremy Pelt has explored many post-war jazz trends, but for his HighNote debut recording he has settled into the acoustic, post-bop format with his regular band that includes the tenor sax of J.D. Allen with the rhythm section of Danny Grissett, piano, Dwayne Burno, bass and Gerald Cleaver, drums. One listen and it is easy to see why he was voted Rising Star on the Trumpet five years in a row by Downbeat and the Jazz Journalists Association.

Tenor Saxman Eric Alexander has more than lived up to his Young Lion hype. Last year he released his amazing 18th recording as leader for HighNote, IT'S ALL IN THE GAME. It only reinforces what has been clear from his work of the past decade, Alexander is one of the leading talents of modern tenor saxophone. Eric and his working band explore a wealth of material, finding treasures and mining each gem without getting tedious, varying his strategies from fluttering wisps, meaty arpeggios and evocative swirls.

When Mark Murphy died in October 2015, the obituaries claimed that he had been almost the last of his kind. Murphy, it was said, was a man who embodied the spirit of postwar bohemia, the 'On The Road' Kerouac generation who fought against the straight life of prosperity and numb consumerism they saw all around them. With a catalogue of more than 40 albums under his own name as well as numerous collaborations, Mark Murphy resisted orthodoxy. He could very likely have enjoyed a successful mainstream career had he remained a crooner in the vein of Mel Torme or Jack Jones, but he had greater ambition to carry the jazz vocal flame. He was a consummate improviser, who never sang a song the same way twice. It is that Mark Murphy we encounter here in a historic engagement at the Keystone Korner which was his only performance in the club. Familiar Murphy favorites are here along with a few surprises with Mark's voice alternately thundering and whispering through the inspired setlist.

Jazz trumpeter, composer and author Jeremy Pelt has certainly never shied away from themed albums so one might expect something cinematic from the enigmatically-titled Soundtrack. However, as Pelt himself explains, "I've certainly done plenty of concept albums, but in this case there's nothing I'm on a soapbox about. It's been a tough time for all of us, so let's not worry about sending messages for a minute. Here we are, playing some songs and having some fun." Having fun the band may be but along the way they make some compelling jazz weaving a beguiling tapestry of kaleidoscopic colors with Pelt's sultry and communicative trumpet to the fore surrounded by Chien Chien Lu's hypnotic vibraphone and pianist Victor Gould's subtle splashes of the Fender Rhodes. The inclusion of Brittany Anjou on Moog synthesizer and the rarely-heard Mellotron may imply a real electronica aspect present on the recording but, quite to the contrary, Pelt uses them sparingly and incorporates them brilliantly into the group's tonal palette. Their appearance does occasionally bring a certain 70s independent jazz vibe to the proceedings but they far from define the sound of the group. Anne Drummond's silvery flute on two tracks adds yet another dimension to the already wide spectrum of colors on this latest album in the discography of the sometimes surprising but always inspired Jeremy Pelt.

Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander made his first CD as a bandleader at the age of 25. That was 17 years ago and, oddly enough, you can still sometimes see Alexander described as an "up-and-coming" jazz saxophonist. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth he's fully developed into one of the finest bebop saxophonists in the world and the proof is in this session. With Harold Mabern, Nat Reeves and Joe Farnsworth providing the rhythmic spark, Eric presents an imaginative program recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

Hearing tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is one of the great treats in jazz. There are few artists on stage today who combine chops, imagination and technique with a fluidity of ideas as he does. This imposing improviser is reunited here with pianist David Hazeltine and they're joined by another jazz great, the always daring trumpeter Jon Faddis on a couple of the tracks. Add in the swing engendered by bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth and you have a formula for excellence, if ever there was one. Alexander produced the session and there is a strong latin feel throughout thanks to the contributions of vibrant percussionist Alex Diaz spurring the band on with a whole trunk load of Latin percussion instruments. In addition to the Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 title tune, the set-list features a satisfying mix of originals and covers all given the patented Alexander treatment.

Larry Coryell, along with colleague John McLaughlin, nearly single-handedly redefined the technique and sound of jazz guitar. A true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, Larry is comfortable in nearly every style, covering almost every base from the most decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing, intricate lines on acoustic guitar. On this best-of anthology, Coryell's crackling up-tempo bursts and rough-hewn energy give this music a vividness and infectious enthusiasm that should appeal to a wide spectrum of the guitarist's jazz and fusion fans.

Legendary jazz writer Nat Hentoff wrote in a lengthy article about Jeremy Pelt in the Wall Street Journal, "It is the beat of Jeremy Pelt's heart... that underscores the future of jazz." High praise indeed but Pelt lives up to it on every gig and with every new recording. FACE FORWARD, JEREMY is a multi-textured, thought provoking release which incorporates a sparing use of electronica along with unexpected acoustic instruments such as the cello and harp. The result is a wildly imaginative sonic landscape that exists in it's own time and space as defined by the artist and the leader himself.

Heralded for years as one of the rising stars in jazz, Jeremy Pelt 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. While he's clearly the man in charge here, Soul is very much a band-focused release, with all five members of the group heard distinctively and insistently throughout.

Jeremy Pelt stands as a strikingly unique musician, his work consistently sleek and polished yet bristling with the spirit of invention flourishing in a lean, modernist language influenced by classic bebop phraseology. He delivers his lines with authority and economy, the pinpoint accuracy of his tone well-suited to the heightened elegance of his delivery. With pianist Simona Premazzi laying down the changes and Ben Allison's bass lines, Jeremy is joined by the twin drums of Billy Drummond and Victor Lewis for a session of originals, standards and music by Wayne Shorter and Clifford Jordan.

Rare live performances from 1950-1958 featuring Bean a.k.a. Coleman Hawkins with such sidemen as Pee Wee Russell, Charlie Shavers, J.C. Higginbotham and others. Includes some of his best-known tunes, too- Body and Soul; the Man I Love, and a seven and a half minute rendition of Avalon !