Black Art Jazz Collective: Armor Of Pride

The Black Art Jazz Collective is a sextet, with Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James Burton III on trombone, Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Xavier Davis at the piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. Armor Of Pride is their second recording, featuring eight originals, each composed by one of the band members except for bassist Archer. Pelt, Escoffery, and Blake formed the band, enlisting Davis, Burton and the late bassist Dwayne Burno to join them, with the sextet playing its first gig in April 2013. Vicente Archer came into the group after Burno passed away later that year. The band’s name, the booklet’s inclusion of a Langston Hughes quote about “the duty of the younger Negro artist,”  and some of the song titles are indicators of the political impetus for this group. The political implications of most Sixties hard bop, largely expressed through song and album titles, was the emphasis on freedom of expression within the largely African-American art form and by extension freedom within American society. Only sometimes, notably in the work of Max Roach (We Insist: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite), Charles Mingus (Fables of Faubus) and Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Volunteered Slavery), were the politics up front and in your face. There’s still quite a lot to be angry about in the USA, and while there are a lot of songs and rants out there, the Black Art Jazz Collective chooses to express their concerns via writing music and playing their asses off. Blake’s Miller Time leads off, a mid-tempo groover that lets you know that you’re in good hands for the next three-quarters of an hour. Escoffery’s title track shines the spotlight on the brass section, with a bold solo by trombonist Burton followed by a sly turn by trumpeter Pelt. Escoffery follows with a vigorous solo of his own. Blake’s whirlwind drumming is crucial to the success of this track. Pelt’s ballad Awuraa Amma begins as a feature for the trumpeter’s beautifully rounded sound and his architectural sense of how to build a solo. A romantic sounding Escoffery and some lush piano stylings by Davis complete the picture. The Spin Doctor is a Burton original that smokes from the start. Escoffery tears it up, urged on by the thumping rhythm section. The incendiary Pelt solos as the piece gains intensity, followed by a brisk trombone solo by the composer. And There She Was, Lovely as Ever is another Pelt ballad, and it’s just as charming as you might expect from the title. The luscious blending of the horns as they state the melody leads into a brief piano solo before Pelt takes the lead. At a bit over three minutes, this one is short and sweet. Another Pelt composition, Pretty, moves into toe-tapping territory for more of the composer’s blues-tinged trumpet. Xavier Davis’ When Will We Learn is a real burner, eliciting a furiously convoluted trombone solo by Burton, some exciting tenor playing by Escoffery, and a hard-driving piano solo by the composer. Escoffery’s Black Art concludes the disc with the kind of up-tempo number that leaves listeners excited, drained, and wanting more. True to the ensemble’s name, it’s the collective that shines throughout this set. That’s not to deny the individual talents of the players, which are considerable, but to emphasize that since improvised music is shaped by individuals in the service of the group, the Black Art Jazz Collective succeeds on all counts. Highly recommended.
HighNote HCD 7313; Jeremy Pelt (tp) James Burton III (tbn) Wayne Escoffery (ts) Xavier Davis (p) Vicente Archer (b) Johnathan Blake (d); Brooklyn, NY, February 11-12, 2018; Miller Time/ Armor of Pride/ Awuraa Amma/ The Spin Doctor/ And There She Was, Lovely as Ever/ Pretty/ When Will We Learn/ Black Art; 45:24. www.jazzdepot.com